I Didn't Fall For You! You Tripped Me!
by Ms.Killjoy
Summary: Who would have thought that after being saved from being beaten up, Todd would have gained the best friend of his life? Who would have thought a girl would stand close enough to him to fall for him? Who knew he'd feel the same? Todd sure didn't. ToddxOC
1. Welcome to Bayville

**Okay, before I start, NO I didn't forget about my Dark Knight story. I'm taking a break from it because I'm having major writer's block. But that story is about half way done. So, I deserve a little down time. I came across some X-Men Evolution videos on YouTube, and I fell in love with it all over again. Todd "Toad" specifically. You can't hate him. He's too adorable. **

**Disclaimer: It is only going here in Chapter One. I don't own any X-Men Evolution characters. They belong to Marvel and Warner Brothers. I only own this plot, my original characters, and some of the setting that isn't normal to X-Men Evolution. =]**

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If one were to look at Bayville High School, they would see all the normal aspects of every high school. In the corner of the front steps, there's the small group of kids that are debating whether or not they should skip the day. In the lawn of the school, there are the cheerleaders doing an early practice for a routine to display later at the Homecoming game. There was another group of kids just getting out of two cars in the parking lot. Out of the small red convertible, came a tall, strong male with dark sunglasses on. Linking arms with him was a beautiful girl with long red hair. Behind this couple, stood an African male with blonde hair cut oddly. And next to him, stood a gothic girl with short brown hair with two white pieces framing her light face.

Out of the second car, came two people. One was a peppy girl with a brown pony-tail, and the other was a boy with blue-black shoulder length hair. He stood from the car on shaky legs. "Kitty, remind me to never ask you for a ride to school again…" Said the boy. Katherine or "Kitty" smiled and looked at her friend.

"Kurt, I don't see what's, like, the big deal. I've had my permit for like, two months."

"And that is what scares me…" Kurt responded with wide eyes. Kitty rolled her eyes and turned to the others. They were looking past her, at the court yard. She turned and saw a bunch of people looking in the direction of the front doors; a loud pounding sound getting louder as it came closer to exiting the school.

A loud scream was heard as a thin, wiry boy came running out. Well, that's what he should have been doing. Instead, it looked like he was hopping out of the school. His amber eyes were wide with panic and he searched frantically for a safe place to run to. Behind him, came the entire football team. And behind them, three other boys. The three boys behind them looked like the smaller boy's friends. One was very good looking, with white blonde hair slicked back, and blue eyes. Another had tanner skin and longish brown hair. He also had grease stains on his jeans and sleeve-less jacket. The last boy was large in both height, and weight. He wore simple overalls and a green tee shirt. They looked angry at the football team.

The boy hopping finally ended up tripping over his own untied shoe lace. He fell and rolled to a stop and a large group formed around the boy, his friends, and the football team. The boy was picked up by his collar and raised into the air. "Listen, _Tolansky._ I don't know who you think you are, but if you think you can scam a hit and run from my boy Tommy, you're _dead_ wrong." Came the threatening voice of Duncan Matthews. Todd Tolansky, better known as "Toad", widened his eyes even more and stuttered out a response.

"N-no, man. You got it all wrong, yo. Alvers and me were just goofing off. He pushed me into you guys, man. Yo, Alvers, tell him!" He said quickly. Duncan's eyes snapped up to Lance Alvers, whom was standing with his friends.

"Matthews, he's telling the truth. I pushed him. Put him down." He commanded.

"You _are_ due for a monthly beat down, Tolansky. What's stopping me from doing it right here? I don't care if you meant it or not."

"Put him down, Matthews." Came a quick demand. Pietro Maximoff, the blonde, said.

"Wow, _Toad_. I forgot how loyal your friends were." Duncan said mocking them.

Kitty and her friends, known as the X-Men, joined the large group on the side of Lance and his friends. Kitty stood near her boyfriend, Lance and looked at him.

"What, like, happened?" The valley girl asked.

"Just what we said. We didn't do anything." Lance said quietly back.

"Well, Tolansky? I'm waiting for an answer. Think you're due for a beat down?" Matthews asked the boy he held.

"N-no…I'm not, yo. Just put me down!" He pleaded. Duncan narrowed his eyes and raised a fist. Todd shut his eyes and waited for the pain. It never came. Instead, another voice was added to the mix.

"Hey!" It said. Everyone turned and looked toward the direction in which the voice came. A small path was cleared behind the football team, and a girl stepped forward.

She was new to Bayville. She was average height, standing at 5 feet 4 inches. She had straight brown hair that slightly covered the right side of her face, and it fell to the middle of her back. She wore a black tee shirt with red trim that stopped just above her belly button, and a pair of jeans with a studded belt. She wore black and white converse and a studded bracelet on each wrist. Her amethyst eyes were narrowed at the sight in front of her.

"Leave him alone." She demanded.

"Oh, look at that, Todd. You got yourself a girlfriend." Duncan dropped Todd, whom landed on his butt, and turned to the girl. "Well. It looks like someone needs to learn their place in this school…The spot on my arm is open." He said smirking. The girl jutted out a hip, and folded her arms. One of her eyebrows rose and she looked at Duncan.

"You're funny. Did you think of that all by yourself?" She asked.

"Oh, a smartass? We don't have room for any more of you…" Duncan stepped forward, and towered over her. She looked up at him, and her eyes flashed a bright red. Duncan's eyes narrowed in confusion.

The group behind them, Lance's and Kitty's group, all saw the small trail of smoke coming up from the girl's hands. They also saw a football helmet on the ground start to shake violently. The redhead and the boy wearing the shades looked at each other. "Scott, do you think…?" Asked the redhead.

"Maybe, Jean." The other said.

"Leave him alone. Leave _me_ alone. You will regret it if you don't." The girl said darkly. Duncan stared at her for another second, and saw the girl's eyes slowly fade from amethyst to red. His eyes widened and was about to say something, when the bell rang for the day to begin.

The courtyard emptied out, and Duncan pushed passed the girl. She relaxed her demeanor, and her eyes went back to their normal color. She saw the boy on the ground give his friend a sign that he was alright, and that they should go on without him. Her head tilted curiously and she walked toward him. Once she got close enough, she smelled grass and pinecones, but couldn't find the source. When she knelt down next to the boy, she noticed it came from him.

Todd looked down at the ground as the girl came closer. He was embarrassed to say the least. A girl had just saved him from getting beat up in front of the whole school. Again. All because he wasn't intimidating. When the girl knelt next to him, and didn't make a disgusted sound, he looked at her. Oh, God, was she pretty. Todd's eyes widened slightly as he thought this. The girl looked to her right, and saw a brown and black back pack thrown on the ground. She took it, and handed it to Todd.

"Are you alright?" She asked with genuine concern. Todd scoffed.

"I've been better, yo." He said while taking his bag.

"I'm Fenralia. Fenralia Orit. Ari for short." She introduced, sticking out a small hand. Todd glanced at it.

"I don't think you wanna touch me, man."

"My hand is out for a reason." Ari said. Todd smiled slightly and stuck out his own large hand. Ari noticed that there was a little bit of webbing in between each finger. It wasn't noticeable, but it was there. "Todd. Todd Tolansky. Everyone calls me Toad…" He said.

"I noticed." Ari said. She sat down completely and looked at the boy in front of her.

He had light brown hair, that fell to his shoulders. It was messy and looked like it hadn't been washed in awhile. He wore ripped jeans that had probably seen better days, and a brown tee shirt on top of a long sleeved white shirt. His shoes were untied, which had caused him to fall before. But the most interesting part of him, she noted, was his eyes. They were a golden color, and they seemed to hold more emotion than he let on.

"I know, I'm ugly. Get over it, yo." Said Todd, rudely. He stood and went to hop away.

"No, wait!" Ari said standing. She took a hold of his shoulder. He turned and glanced back at her curiously. "I never said that." She said with a small smile. Todd's eyes widened slightly at this, and a slight blush crept up his face. A fly had taken that moment to buzz by. Not being able to resist, Todd shot his tongue out, catching it. Ari's hand fell from Todd's shoulder. He glanced at her again, expecting her to be a sickly green color. Instead, he saw her laughing.

He laughed nervously, himself. "Wow. You're very strange." Ari said after she calmed down. Todd shrugged and looked down. "But…strange in a good way. I'll see you around, Todd." She gave a little wave, and then she turned to leave. Todd turned, and couldn't help himself. He watched her leave with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. She swayed when she walked. He enjoyed watching that.

"Yo, I hope I see her again..." He said finally. He turned, crouched down, and hopped toward another building to start his day.

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**Okay, boring. I know. But the first chapter is allowed to be! It'll pick up later, I promise. Review, please! =)**

**XOXO ~ Killjoy**


	2. Adding fuel to the Fire

**Thank you to the few of you that have reviewed =] and a thank you too many of you that have put my story on your alerts or favorites lists. Also, an EXTREME thank you goes to those that put me, ME, on your author alert. Much appreciated. =]**

**I love this. As I'm writing this, there's an X-Men Evolution marathon on. I'm so inspired. **

**One thing I wanted to clear up…In the first chapter, Toad was surrounded by his friends and yeah, they could have helped at any time. But it's a high school fight. No one ever gets involved. =] Well…that's my high school, anyway. We let the people involved in the fight work it out…**

**Anyway, enjoy the second chapter of "I Didn't Fall For You! You Tripped Me!"**

_Italics: Thoughts_

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Fenralia stood at her locker, fixing it up. It was the first time that day she had gotten a moment to herself. For her, it was lunch time and before she went to the cafeteria, she wanted to organize some things. Just to get settled in.

It was her first day at Bayville High, and already people knew her. They didn't know her name, but they knew her as the one that stood up for Toad. People asked her why she stepped in. She told them that it was the right thing to do.

"He's a creep. I wouldn't have done it." Was one of many things said to her after she explained her reason. _He didn't seem like a creep to me…_ Fenralia thought to herself. She shrugged other people's thoughts off as she shut her locker. As she did, she saw Duncan leaning on a locker next to her.

"Yes?" Fenralia asked him with a bored tone.

"You're one of those freaks. Aren't you?" He asked her darkly. Fenralia's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You're eyes turned red. Then I smelled smoke. How'd that happen?" Duncan said, stepped toward her. Her face showed even more confusion.

"…You must have been imagining things…I really don't know what you're talking about. I have to go…" Fenralia tried to step around Duncan, but he grabbed her arm. "Let go of me." She commanded.

"What are you going to do if I don't?" He asked her. The look on his face challenged her to do something. He pushed her into the locker behind her, making her drop her book. Fenralia's head hit the metal and she saw stars for a moment. Duncan's hands grabbed hers and pulled them parallel to her shoulders. Fenralia's vision focused, and her eyes flashed red. Duncan dropped her hands looking at his own. They were burned. "What did you do?!" He yelled at her. Fenralia's eyes widened and she grabbed her book from the ground.

"I-I swear…I didn't mean to!" She defended.

"I swear, when I get my hands on you…" Duncan started.

"You'll what?" Asked a new voice. It had a southern ring to it. Fenralia's head whipped to the right, and saw the gothic girl from this morning.

"I have to go." Duncan mumbled. He glared at Fenralia and stormed away.

"Thanks…" Fenralia said awkwardly.

"Yeah, well…He's a jerk. You don't deserve to be tormented by the likes of him. Name's Rogue by the way." She stuck out a gloved hand to Fenralia. Fenralia looked at her.

"I…I don't know if it's safe…" She said looking at her hands.

"You sound just like me, hunny. But, it's probably a defense mechanism. I'm not gunna hurt ya." Rogue said with a smile. Fenralia looked at her, confused. But then she returned the smile and took her hand.

"Fenralia. But call me Ari." Rogue nodded and they headed to the cafeteria. The pair talked about random things.

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She sat at a table along with Rogue. Rogue introduced Fenralia to the rest of the table. So, Scott, Jean, Kitty, Rogue, and Kurt all asked about Ari's life. But, Ari stopped paying attention when she saw Todd and his friends. She looked at Todd, and tilted her head curiously. He didn't look as happy as he should with his friends. In fact, his blond friend had just said something, and they all laughed. But Todd didn't. It looked like they were laughing at him. Then, Todd got up, rolled his eyes, and hopped out of the cafeteria through another door.

"Ari…?" Asked Jean. Fenralia snapped back to the conversation.

"What?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Look, I know that The Toad is bad looking, but don't make it so obvious that you're, like, staring…" Kitty advised. Ari looked at her.

"He's not….'bad looking', Kitty. I have to go. I'll talk to you all later." Ari said. Then she grabbed her tray and walked to the door Todd left from. As she walked past Todd's friends' table, one of them whistled at her.

"Way to go, _Kitty_. We almost had her on our side!" Kurt whined.

"Hey, we don't even know if she's actually, like…one of us." Kitty said, crossing her arms.

"Believe me, ya'll. What I saw before, and what Jean and Scott saw this morning…She's definitely not a human…And she's a good person. I doubt we'll lose her tah them…" Rogue said, looking over at Todd's friends.

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Ari looked around as she stepped outside. Then, she heard rustling coming from the side of the school. She followed the sound until she found the source. Todd was sitting on a closed dumpster, and listening to his IPod. He had his eyes shut and looked like he was trying to relax.

As she got closer, she noted that he couldn't hear her. She could hear his music. She couldn't place the music though. But it sounded extremely familiar to her. She sat next to him, and noticed he didn't move. So, she enjoyed the silence. _What happened before? What's going on with me?_ Ari thought. She looked down at her hands. Then she looked at Todd. _And what is everyone's deal with Todd? He seems nice enough. Well, then again, I haven't known him for very long. But still…_

"I hope you're aware of your staring problem, yo." Todd told her. She jumped, her eyes flashed, and then a bucket next to the dumpster exploded. Ari's head snapped to look at the spot where the bucket once was and her eyes widened.

"Did I _do_ that?" Fenralia asked herself.

"Do what?" Todd asked, taking his headphones off.

"You…you didn't see that?" Ari asked him. Getting a shrug and a head shake, she sighed. "Great…The one time I realize I did something, no one else does."

"So you're one of us. Nothin' to be sad about, man…" He said.

"O-one of you?" She asked, confused.

"Yeah, you know…a mutant. You obviously noticed I ain't just a pretty face…With your starin' problem an' all…" Todd said, looking pointedly at her.

"So…who…_What_…am I?" Fenralia asked him.

"A mutant. It's nothing bad…Do it again, man. So I can see." He urged. He sat up into a squatting position.

"I…I don't think I can…It seems to happen when I'm mad…or scared…" She looked at the ground. Todd seemed to have formed an idea. In a flash, he lunged at Fenralia, and they tumbled to the ground. "Hey!" She said. What he did startled her, and a garbage bag near their crash site blew up, sending its contents everywhere. Fenralia looked up at the small boy above her. She had landed with her hands on his shoulders. He was above her with his hands on the ground on either side of her head. His legs straddled her waist. Their faces were inches apart. Fenralia's eyes were wide with shock.

"Ha. _That_ was pretty cool." Todd noted as he looked around. Garbage was falling all over the ground. He glanced down at Fenralia.

"That wasn't right…" She said. "Get off…" Ari added. Todd gave her a sheepish smile and stood. He scratched his neck awkwardly.

"So it wasn't my best idea…give a guy a break." He offered a hand for assistance. She took it, and was pulled to her feet.

"Not by a long shot…By the way, I do _not_ have a staring problem." Ari said to him while pushing him lightly. Todd laughed.

"I say you do." He said.

"What's going on?" Both Ari and Todd turned and saw Pietro standing with Fred and Lance.

"We was just talking." Todd said quickly. Pietro raised an eyebrow and looked at Fenralia. She recognized him as the one whom whistled at her. In the blink of an eye, he was next to her. He threw an arm around her shoulders.

"So tell me, baby, why's a girl like you so interested in my boy Todd?" He asked her. Pietro gave her a pearly white smile. Fenralia looked at him. She shrugged off his arm and turned to face him. She poked him in the chest, making him back up with her every word.

"First off…I'm not two, so I'm not your 'baby'. Second of all…" She glanced at Todd, and her gaze softened. "He's a friend." He smiled widely and she returned it. Then she glared back at Pietro. "So stay out of my business." Pietro's eyes narrowed, meeting her anger. He stood straight, causing her to step back.

"I'll do what I want, when I want. You're new here, girly, so I'll pretend this never happened. Besides, you're too pretty to waste." He said with a smile. That seemed to set Fenralia off.

Her eye twitched slightly, and her eyes faded to red. Smoke rose from her clenched fists, and finally, fire ignited on them. She breathed through her nose, and smoke poured from her nostrils. Todd let out a small scream, and jumped back into Lance. Fenralia, herself, looked shocked for a moment, but regained her composure when Pietro spoke.

Pietro's eyes widened. "So you _are_ a mutant. That's a pretty cool trick you got." He sped to her, appearing inches from her face. "But mine's better." Ari's eyes widened and she lifted her right hand. Automatically, a fire blast shot from her ignited hand and sent Pietro flying back. "So, what? You're one of those X Geeks?" Pietro asked from the ground.

"A _what?_" She asked. Before Pietro could explain, he sped off. Fenralia spun on her heel and looked at Lance and Fred. "You gunna start on me, too?" She asked. They glanced down at her hands. They shook their heads quickly and wandered off to find their blond friend.

"Yo, uh, Ari…" Her eyes snapped to Todd. "Think you could put out the fire? People are gunna start coming out of the school. Lunch is almost over, man. I don't think you want them to see ya like this…"

"I…I don't know how to put it out…." She admitted looking at her lit hands. They started shaking. Todd came over to her. He stood in front of her and upon instinct, took her shoulders. She looked at him, and they just stared at each other. His gaze was a soft one, and it seemed to soothe her. She didn't understand why. She didn't know him that well, but she already trusted him. Even though she knew that it wasn't a safe thing to do; trust someone you barely know. But, she did.

She felt her own gaze soften as her eyes went back to their purple color. Her hands cooled off, and soon all that was left was thin smoke trailing up her arms. But that soon faded. The pair was still staring at one another. Todd smiled. Again, she returned it. Before she could thank him, Todd ruined the moment.

"I _told_ you that you had a starin' problem."

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***Sigh* Todd sure does know what to say. -.-**

**Well, there it is. Chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed it. =]**

**XOXO~ Killjoy**


	3. Learn Your Place

**Alright, I'm pretty happy with some of the responses I've been getting for this story. I just want to work on this one though, until I catch up with my other story…Because…This writer's block is annoying….**

**This chapter is for Manda! She came up with a pretty good scene, so I'm using it. Thanks, Manda! =]**

_Italics: Thoughts_

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The rest of Fenralia's day passed rather quickly and nothing special happened. Pietro seemed to study her every time she passed him. She couldn't figure out why, though. She shrugged this thought off during her last class of the day, Study Hall. Well, it wasn't really a class, but she still had forty two minutes to pass.

She took out her notebook from her bag and glanced around the room. Todd walked in and smiled at her. He wandered over and sat in the empty desk next to her. "Hey, Ari. What's up, yo?" He asked eagerly.

"Nothin'. I was planning on doing a little bit of writing…But…I can do that later if you wanted to talk…" Ari said, putting her notebook away.

"Ah, man, didn't mean to bother ya. What are ya gunna write about?" He asked.

"Well…" Ari turned a light shade of pink. It was too early to say, but she might have had a slight crush on the boy in front of her. He had walked her to her next class after lunch, and had thanked her for 'chilling with him', as he called it, and for saying what she did to Pietro. She shrugged it off and told him it's what friends do.

She still didn't understand why so many people didn't like him. '_He seems like he came from the wrong side of the tracks, but how does that matter'?_ Ari thought as she looked at him. '_He's so nice…Maybe that's because he's so lonely…? Hm…Well, it really doesn't matter. He's nice to me…And I think that's what counts. Maybe it's because he doesn't know how to act around a girl?' _

"Hell-oooo….? Earth to Ari, man! Snap out of it…" Todd snapped his fingers in front of Ari's eyes and she jumped, snapping her attention to him. "…Yo, I'm startin' to worry about ya…You might wanna get that-"

"Comment on my 'staring problem' and I'll blow you up." Ari threatened. Todd's eyes widened and he looked down at his desk.

"So, uh...Tell me, yo. Where ya from and stuff? I feel like I know so much personal stuff about ya, but none of the basics…" He said, looking back at her.

"Well…I used to live with my parents…Until my dad died. He was in a car crash. So, it was just me and my mother for a while. But…Then she decided that I'd be better off living with my Uncle here in Bayville after some weird kitchen fire. Looking back on it…I might have caused it. It was pretty funny, actually. Anyway, I haven't been to his place yet; my mom dropped me off here this morning. She said she was bringing my stuff there and was finalizing some things. And…that's my story…" She said, looking at him. He was looking at her with an unreadable expression. Then, Ari laughed and looked down. Her hair fell in front of her face. "I really don't know why I just did that. I barely know you, no offense..." She added quickly, looking up at him. He shook his head and smiled slightly.

"Nah, it's no problem. Not like I asked you for your social security or somethin'. It's just how I can get to know ya. I've been from orphanage to orphanage, myself. Didn't know my parents…" He trailed off looking saddened. "They probably got rid of me when they saw what I looked like…" Ari's brow furrowed in confusion.

"There's nothing wrong with what you look like!" She said loudly. Some people around her glanced over with wide eyes. She looked around, smiled nervously, and leaned forward, and quietly continued. "You look completely fine to me…So you're slightly green, and have webbed appendages…"

"And a twenty foot tongue…." Todd added. Ari put her fingers to her mouth, trying to imagine having a tongue like his. Her thoughts though, went down a different path. '_Oh, Lord, Fenralia! Get your mind out of the gutter!'_ Fenralia shut her eyes, and raised an eyebrow. She sighed.

"So what? It doesn't matter…"

"Wow…Are you an angel, yo?" Todd asked, looking at her. She laughed.

"No. It was how I was raised. To not judge people on appearances alone."

"I wish there were more of you walkin' around…" He said laughing slightly.

"No, you don't. I think one of me is enough." Ari said. The two talked about more random things to occupy the rest of their time.

The bell soon rang, and the pair got up. "So, where are you going now?" Ari asked Todd.

"I'm probably gunna head home…But I'll walk with ya if you want. You said you weren't sure where to go…" He tried to not sound hopeful. Ari smiled gratefully.

"Oh, yeah. That'd be awesome. I just have to grab some stuff from my locker." The hall and school quickly emptied as they spoke.

"Same here, man. I'll be back soon." She nodded and she walked past him. Again, Todd watched her walk away. "Yo, she's definitely an angel or somethin'…" He turned and walked down the hall and turned the corner to his own locker.

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Ari was lost in her thoughts again, and just as she was about to put her hand in her locker, something slammed it shut. She jumped, and looked for the source. She saw Duncan in the same spot as before. "What do you _want_ from me?" Ari asked, frustrated. She glanced down and saw bandages wrapped around his hands.

"I want you to know your place." He said darkly.

"My _place_?" Ari said, her eyebrow rising and eyes narrowing.

"Come on. Do that little trick again. Give me a reason to knock you down. You think you can come here and break me down? You befriended the weirdo of the school. The loser. We ain't worth your time. But, you didn't listen to those that told you to leave him alone. You can't try to rule the school _and_ be a freak at the same time." He stepped into her space, causing her to back up. "You think you can challenge me?" He asked. "I'll give you a challenge." Duncan knocked the books out of her hands and pushed her shoulders. Out of nowhere, Ari's eyes went red, and her hands lit on fire. The lockers around her started shaking.

"Don't….you…_touch_…me…." Ari said. Hate dripped from her every word. Duncan's eyes widened.

"Wow…You _are_ nuts…" Duncan said. Ari's hair fell in front of her right eye, and the light from the fire on her hands bounced off her face, giving her a demonic glow.

"Get…Away…from me…." She said.

"What are you going to do if I don't?" he asked with a smirk. Before he could react, Ari's fire on her right hand extinguished and a smoke trail followed her hand as it shot out, grabbing Duncan's shirt collar. She dragged him close to her face. "You like to push your luck, don't you?" She asked darkly.

"Let me tell you something. You're a bully. A Jerk. If anything, _you're_ the freak." Every word out of her mouth was dangerously quiet. "I don't go around picking on people that are smaller than me. I don't go around acting all big and tough because I can. You think just because you're on the foot ball team, you can live out the stereotypical jock-popular-guy?" She searched his face. His fear grew. Ari raised her left hand that was on fire. "I never want you to speak to me…_or_ my friends. Ever again." Her eyes narrowed and she added, "Got it?" when she got a nod from Duncan, she threw him back into the lockers. They stopped shaking, and Ari shut her eyes as Duncan sped off and out of the school. She breathed in deeply, sighing through her nostrils. Again, smoke poured from them. The fire on her still lit hand faded and then went out completely, leaving smoke lightly trailing up into the air.

"So. Who has the staring problem now?" She asked. She turned her head, and Todd was standing there, staring at her with wide eyes. He could hear the smirk in her voice.

"That….Yo….That was amazing!" He said, hopping over to her. She looked at him with a sheepish smile.

"I guess Rogue was right…It _is_ like a defense mechanism." She looked at her hands, which were still warm.

"Well…You know I ain't gunna hurt you, right?" He asked, looking at her hands.

"Yeah…I don't know what it is…But something about you makes me really trust you…" She said, honestly. He shrugged.

"I'm just that good, yo. I'm a charmer." He joked. She laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. He laughed, too. The pair walked out of the school. "I think he's gunna leave you alone now, yo." They had continued down the path for a few minutes in silence. Finally, Ari looked at him.

"But, he's gunna leave you alone, too. I _did_ say 'friends', remember?" She said with a smile. Todd looked taken aback by the random comment. Then he asked,

"Yeah, well…why do you consider me a friend, yo?"

"Do you _have_ to keep putting yourself down? I understand that a lot of people pick on you, but…stay smiling. Because the one that's smiling, knows something the others don't."

"And what's that, yo?" He asked, confused. She gave him a lopsided smile, and raised an eyebrow.

"That he's better than them." This made Todd turn bright red and look back down. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

* * *

"I think this is it!" Ari said suddenly. She made Todd jump from his spot, and he looked up frantically.

In front of them was a large mansion, and there was a sign on the gates. It said "Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters".

"Oh, there's my uncle!" She ran through the gates, and Todd still stood there unsure of what to do. He watched as Ari ran down the sidewalk. "Uncle Logan!!!" She screamed. The man that was walking down the sidewalk turned and saw the girl jump at him. He gave a small smirk and caught her.

"Hey Feen. How've ya been?" He asked her. Todd stood there watching the pair. He was frozen. He was looking at Logan with huge eyes.

'_Oh man, Toad…You sure know how to pick em…'_

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**Alright, chapter 3 is done. =] Hope you enjoyed it. I know I did. **

**XOXO~Killjoy**


	4. Getting Settled In

**O.O Holy Banana!!!! **_**SEVEN REVIEWS**_** added in one day!!?!?!?! I love you guys!!!! =] Wow…I'm amazed…Ok…so…Let me respond to all of them….Wow…I'm just…all smiles… =]**

**Ok…**

**IHeartTheFuzzyDude: I'd never kill off Toad!! I need still need him! =]**

**Melody Night: I'm glad you think it was funny. I needed an unlikely candidate for it. =]**

**Trapper Chavez: You too, I like that you found it funny. That's what happens. Never play with fire, kids. ;-)**

**MischievousMelinoe: I think I sent you a message. I have an idea that's going to be explained in this chapter. I hope it works… =]**

**Rogue-scholar07: Thank you. And, Thank you for saying this was an awesome update! =]**

**Lee Anna Marks: I normally don't know how to make Mary-sue…NOT Mary-sue. But…I can try. Remember, she's new and doesn't know what she's doing with her powers. Of course she needs help. And, I like odd names. I don't know why. =] **

**And…that's all of the new ones. Wow. Guys, I can't thank you all enough. =]**

**Well, on to chapter four. **

_Italics:_ Thoughts.

* * *

Ari turned and saw Todd turn and hop quickly away from the gates. Logan sniffed the air. "Where's the Toad…." He asked darkly. Fenralia looked at him oddly.

"You know him?"

"_You_ know him?" He countered. She nodded and told him that Todd was a friend. Logan's eyes narrowed. "Be careful, Feen…He's a bad seed..."

"He's a friend…_Try_ to be nice." Ari pleaded. Logan raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Fenralia turned and ran back out to catch up with Todd. She slid in front of him. "Where ya goin'?" She asked him.

"Yo, what's it look like? Away from here!"

"What? Why?"

"Yo, don't you know who your uncle is?!" Fenralia laughed.

"Oh, relax. He's not _really_ my uncle. He just took my mom in when she was younger. The house we lived in was his. He said he had to go do something and we hadn't heard from him until about a month ago. It was actually kind of random." Fenralia explained. "Please, come meet him. I know he's….rough around the edges…But get to know him." She asked.

"Believe me, yo. I know him." He looked at Ari whom looked like she was pouting. _'Wow, I hate to see her like that…Well, what's just this once…? I'll meet him, yo.'_ Todd sighed and Fenralia looked up at him. "Why not?" He said sighing. Fenralia brightened and gave him a quick hug to which Todd blushed. Fenralia grabbed his wrist and dragged him back through the gates. Her 'uncle' wasn't on the path, so she assumed he was inside.

* * *

The pair wandered in, and Fenralia stood staring at the grand staircase in front of her.

"Wow…" she said while looking around. Todd stood there awkwardly. He'd been here a few times, and wasn't looking forward to seeing any familiar faces. He also noticed that Fenralia still had his wrist. He didn't say a word. _'This is probably as close as it's gunna get to...'_ Before he could finish his thought, she interjected. "I think we have to go this way…" She suggested.

"How do you know-" He started. She shushed him. Her eyes snapped shut.

_"Do not be afraid, Fenralia. My name is Charles Xavier. This is my school. Please, just follow my instructions. Your uncle and myself are waiting in my office. Everything will be explained."_ Her eyes opened again. That voice sounded soothing and fatherly, so she decided to trust it. Her hand slid down, and locked with his. Todd's eyes widened and his face turned pink again. Again, she dragged him off down a hall.

They turned corners, and went up stairs. Finally, they came to a large set of double doors and before she could knock, the same voice from her mind said, "Please, Come in." Fenralia jumped, and looked at Todd. He didn't seem fazed. So, she tentatively opened one door, to find her uncle leaning on a large oak desk, and a man she didn't recognize sitting in a wheelchair next to the desk. "Ah, Fenralia. Welcome." Ari stepped in with Todd, their hands still locked. Logan saw this and raised an eyebrow. Fenralia saw this, and followed his eyes. She saw hers and Todd's hands together, and her face went pink. _'When did I do that…?'_ She dropped his hand and stepped further into the room. "Mr. Tolansky. Nice to see you again. I trust you've been behaving with Fenralia…" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, man. She's pretty cool, I guess…" He said nervously. The pair walked over to the men, and Fenralia looked at Logan questioningly.

"What is this place?" She asked.

"Chuck can explain it better than I can." Logan said, pointing to Charles.

"Yes, sit down. Todd, you may stay if you wish. This won't take long." Charles reassured. Todd sat down in a chair next to Fenralia. He was sitting up in a crouching position. This seemed to be the norm with him. "This is my school. It teaches young people like yourself to control the gifts that they were given. You are not alone, Fenralia. Your friends that you made today, Rogue and the others, they're mutants as well. Everyone in this building has something that sets them apart from the outside world. They are mutants. You possess the X gene as well. But, I'm sure you've noticed your abilities during your confrontation with Duncan Matthews."

"How did you..?" Fenralia asked.

"He knows things." Logan answered.

"So, if you wish, this place can be your home. I was the one whom told Logan to contact you and your mother because I picked up on your powers. They seem to be more active lately. I think you're trying to figure them out. That's a good thing, but you shouldn't use them every time an opportunity rises."

"Yo, professor…" Todd said from his seat. All eyes went to him, and he shrank back slightly. "That thing with Matthews…He was askin' for it."

"That may be true; Mr. Tolansky, but Fenralia shouldn't have done what she did. You need to learn control; otherwise something like that kitchen fire may happen again. But do not worry. Mr. Matthews will not recall any of the things that occurred with you Fenralia regarding your powers. But, he will remember you stood up for Todd, here. He's going to think he got those burns whilst barbequing at his home.

"I knew it was too good to be true…I'm gunna come in tomorrow in a padded suit and helmet…"

"Don't worry, Troll. Matthews 'grew bored' with you and your friends." Logan said glancing at Xavier.

"Why are you doing this all for me?" Fenralia asked from her own chair.

"You're family, Feen. You know that." Logan said. "Just give the place a shot. A week. If you don't like it, you can go back home."

"Well…" Fenralia thought it over, and looked over at Todd and smiled. "Why not?" The two older men in front of her smiled, and Logan stood straight.

"I'll leave getting you settled in with Chuck. Let me know if you need anything." Logan said. As he walked by her, he ruffled Fenralia's hair; meanwhile he glared down at Todd. Todd sank even further in his chair.

"You're room is upstairs. You'll have your own room for a while, until someone comes along to room with you. There is also a uniform for you to wear during training sessions. I'd like to know if it fits alright. If there are no questions, you may go unpack." Charles said, dismissing them. Fenralia stood, and went to walk out of the office. _'Also, be weary of Todd and his friends.'_ Came the advice from Charles to Ari.

* * *

As the two walked down another hallway, Fenralia's curiosity got the better of her. "Why is everyone warning me about you and your friends?"

"Eh…I don't think it's my place to say, yo. But my friends and your friends don't exactly get along. Well, aside from Lance and your Kit-Kat."

"Why's that?" She pushed further.

"Well…It's just that we're on opposite sides; my friends and your friends. We're the 'bad guys' 'cuz we come from the wrong side of the tracks. Except Pietro…But…he's another story."

"Oh…so…We…my friends…We fight you all?"

"Yep. That's the way it is."

"Wow…" Ari mused. They came to a door at the end of a hall, and Ari pushed it open. The room had her stuff in it, and there was a box on one of the full sized beds. She wandered over and picked up the box, sitting down on the bed.

"Well, come on, yo! Open it!" Fenralia rolled her eyes, and opened the box. She pulled out a leotard outfit. It was a black turtle necked leotard with the shoulders cut out. It was long sleeved, and had red trimming. There was a set of red half gloves with large cuffs on them, and a belt with an 'X' on it. She looked at the floor and noticed a pair of long, black boots. "Wow. Looks cool, man. So, uh…Do you want help unpackin' or anything?" He looked at her for an answer, and saw her with her hand down in her hands. "Ari, what's wrong?"

"This is happening way too fast…This morning I thought I was a normal kid going to a new school…I didn't expect to find out I'm a mutant…"

"Yeah…That's life for ya…"

"You're not helping." She said looking at him. He shrugged.

"Sorry…It's just…Being a mutant has its benefits. You can do things most people can't…"

"Yeah…I guess you're right. I think I just have to get used to it…Hold on, I'm going to go change to see if this fits." She didn't sound convinced, but it was good enough for Todd. He didn't know how to comfort anyone. Living with a bunch of guys, all of this was new to him. He wasn't used to the emotional ride that girls often take people on. Ari stood and went to look for a bathroom. Todd looked down and saw a box of Fenralia's stuff. He hopped over to it, and decided to help her unpack.

* * *

"Well, how does it look?" Fenralia asked, coming back into the room. It had been about 10 minutes, and Todd had just finished putting some of her stuff on her dresser. Todd figured she'd sort things out later. He turned and looked over at her as she inspected herself in the mirror. _'…Wow…She looks…Wow…'_ Todd couldn't form complete thoughts. She looked over at him. "Well?" He shook his head, snapping back to reality.

"I don't think it'd look right if someone walked in and saw us, yo. You wearin' that and me…Being me…"

"…So it looks bad?" She said, looking back into the mirror.

"What?! No! I mean…" Todd became flustered.

"Relax. It's fine. I like it." She turned back to Todd, and wandered over to a box. "I want to get used to this thing. If it makes you…uncomfortable, let me know." She said winking at him. Todd let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, I'll do that…"

About an hour had passed, and Fenralia had changed back into her other clothing. She and Todd had finished unpacking her stuff, and were now just goofing around and talking.

"Ari, man..I have to bounce. The guys are gunna go nuts if I don't get back."

"Alright…" Ari said, sounding slightly dejected. She stood from her spot, and Todd wandered over to the window.

"I think your friends will be happy that you chose to stay." Todd mused while looking back at her.

"So, wait…This doesn't mean that we have to stop talking, right? I mean, us being on opposite sides and all…" She said, meeting him at the window sill. He perched himself so he could hop out and down onto the ground.

"Ari, man, you can do whatever you want. It shouldn't be a problem though, yo. Lance and Kit-Kat have been together for awhile. Yeah, they've gotten crap for it, but it dies down, yo." He offered Ari a smile.

"Okay. Hey, thanks for becoming my first friend here. And for sitting through all of this…I know it probably wasn't your top priority for today…"

"Hey, I got to chill with an awesome girl, and I got to meet her family. Normally, dinner comes before meeting the family, but I've never been one for traditions." Todd said nonchalantly. Ari laughed.

"Keep sweet talking me like that and I'll have to have you removed from my room." She joked back. She pushed him lightly and he jumped from the window. She shook her head and watched him leave. She sighed through her nose again, and leaned on the sill. "What an odd boy…Charming…But odd…."

* * *

**Chapter 4 is done. Wow…I'm amazing myself…3 updates within 3 days….Hm…I guess I'm that bored… =] Hope you all enjoyed it, though it was slightly uneventful. **

**XOXO~Killjoy**


	5. Sweet Escape

**Ok…Time to reply to my reviewers. First, I want to clear the air…I really don't want this to sound rude…But since I don't know how to make her…_un_ Mary-sue like, I'm not going to try. I really hope that doesn't sound as mean as it does in my mind… O.o But if by some miracle she ends up not being one…It's unintentional….*ponders how everything good happens to her by mistake...* **

**Alright…Replies…**

**Lee Anna Marks: Um, I know which part you're talking about. But it does say that the **_**shoulders**_** are cut out. Think of the shape looking like long shoulder pads. If you'd like, my profile has my homepage link with some art work of her, so you know what it looks like. I hope that helps. =]**

**Pampers Baby Dry: I'm glad it made you laugh. =]**

**Trapper Chavez: No, I'm not putting Wanda in…I don't want her in this one. But, I really don't think him showing no interest in her would make her want him…She's always so mean to him and all…But, I do ship them otherwise…If that makes sense. O.o?**

**Other than that, I think I got everyone's review. If I didn't…let me know and I'll add it in next time. **

'_Italics': Thoughts_

_Italics: Flashbacks_

_

* * *

_

It had been a two weeks since everything had happened to her. She had started training with the X-Men the Saturday after she arrived. It had exhausted her completely, because she wasn't used to such a work out. She had also been getting a lot of headaches because Xavier and Logan had been overworking her powers. The training, as well as the schoolwork, was taking a toll on her to say the least. But she was glad that the weekend was here once again, and she had this one off.

But she couldn't complain, because she had managed to make two best friends in Bayville. Rogue had become quite close to Ari, after the second confrontation with Duncan. They both possessed dangerous powers that needed to be used with extreme caution.

The other person she had become extremely close to was Todd. Yes, this was inevitable, but she cherished their friendship the most. She believed that she had indeed developed a crush on him and it wasn't a slight one. He made her feel welcome. He was still the school outcast and still managed to get bullied by all sorts of kids. But it wasn't as bad as it used to be when Duncan gave him a black eye every week. He always managed to make her smile, as well. Whenever she had asked him why he doesn't stand up to those making fun of him, he always responded with "They ain't worth it." This made her smile, because she was having an effect on him. He had taken her advice and ignored everyone that angered him.

The book Todd had asked her about two weeks back was her lifeline. It was like her journal. She didn't like the term "diary", because it seemed too fluffy. She had written down her thoughts on everything since she was twelve. She had gone through three of them, and they were under lock and key in a box in her room at the Institute. The newer book she had, had a whole part dedicated to Todd. Sure, it made her feel like a girl, but it saved her from pouncing and taking Todd to the ground while attacking his lips with hers whenever she saw him. But him thinking of her that way was just crazy. He was too nice to deserve her.

* * *

He couldn't wait to see her again. Todd was sitting on his bed in his room, and he was just daydreaming. He was imagining their evening to come, because he had promised to show her his "spot" in the mountains of Bayville. This spot was like his escape. It was a large rock overlooking the city, with a waterfall in the backdrop. He hadn't told her about it until she was practically begging him yesterday.

"_Please, Todd? I'll be your best friend…" Ari offered. The sight of her clasping her hands with her eyebrows raised and a hopeful smile was too adorable to him._

"_Yo, you already are." Todd reminded her. Her face immediately fell, and she crossed her arms. Now, she looked like a little kid. She had worn a black headband showing off her heart shaped face, giving her a look of innocence. She was doing this on purpose. He shut his eyes and sighed. "Fine…" Her face lit up, and she jumped on him, giving him a large hug. Todd laughed, catching her. _

"_Thank you! I can't wait! Tomorrow night, alright? Good! I have to go!" She said all in one breath. Then, she sped off to where her uncle was waiting for her on his motorcycle. Todd could tell Logan was sending him the darkest look possible. Todd was glad that looks couldn't kill, because he would have been dead, resurrected, and then killed again. _

Now Todd was smiling. He still felt her small arms wrapped around his neck. He could still smell her vanilla scent even though all this happened a day ago. He couldn't begin to understand why Ari would be his friend, but he was extremely glad she was. Todd was supposed to go get her at the front gates to the Institute at six pm, and it was already four. He had wasted most of his morning trying to figure out if he should tell her how he was starting to feel. He even thought about asking Lance for advice, since he and Kitty were still together. But, Todd didn't want to embarrass himself. So, he decided to stay quiet until he was sure things would go smoothly. But, he was also sure that no girl could ever like him for more than a friend. He was so positive that Ari couldn't possibly want to kiss him as badly as he wanted to kiss her. He sighed, letting himself fall backwards onto the bed, wishing he had her to warm himself against.

* * *

"Hey, Todd!" Ari greeted when she saw Todd hopping toward her.

"Yo." Was his casual response. They started toward their destination. "Okay, so when we get to the mountain entrance, I want ya to shut your eyes."

"W-What?" Ari stammered.

"It's my secret, yo. One day I'll show ya completely. But for now, I want to keep its location secret. That alright, yo?" He asked. Ari sighed.

"Fine…"

"Thanks, man." Ari let out a small 'mhm' and they continued.

They finally ended up at the entrance to the trails. "Yo, shut your eyes, now." Todd instructed.

"How am I supposed to do that, and walk on the uneven ground?" She asked him smartly. He thought for a minute. He looked at her, and saw she was wearing another cloth headband.

"Give me your headband…" Todd then said. She took it out of her hair, handing it to him. He took it, and then put it back on her so that it was shielding her eyes. He turned and crouched down. "Get on my back. I won't drop ya, man."

"…Seriously?" Came the dry remark. Getting no response, Ari became aware Todd was serious. Ari shrugged. "Alright…" She felt in front of her, until she found his shoulders. Then Todd hooked his arms under her knees and then took a strong hop forward. Ari gasped, not expecting the sudden departure, and clutched Todd tighter. His face heated up, and a small smile appeared on his face. He felt her hair whipping around, and she had buried her head in his neck, protecting herself further.

She couldn't see anything except the red fabric of her headband. She felt slightly nauseous, not being used to the sudden movements she was experiencing. _'All this because I'm curious…'_ she thought. Finally, they came to a sharp halt. "Are…Are we there…?" Ari asked through shaky breath.

"Yeah, man. We're here, yo." He gently set her down, grabbing her arms when she almost fell over. She heard a loud rushing sound; like a waterfall. Todd came forward, and pulled the headband down, so it fell loosely around her neck. Fixing it, Ari turned around.

"Oh my G-" She started. "This place is beautiful…" She said in wonder.

"Yeah…" Todd said, looking at her, and not the falls. "But, that's not the best part." He added, snapping out of it. She looked at him, and he motioned behind them. Ari turned, and her eyes widened slightly, and her lips parted slightly as well.

The entire city was shadowed over by the sun setting behind it. Some lights were still on, and others were going out. Ari walked slowly over to the edge of the large rock and sat down. Her eyes were glued to the sky. It looked like a work of art. All the oranges, reds, and yellows slowly blending together to create the most beautiful sunset she'd ever seen.

"How does no one know about this place?" Ari asked incredulously. Todd sat next to her, and shrugged.

"I don't know…Yo, but no one else is going to know…right, Ari?" He asked her. She finally took her eyes off the city below, and looked over at him.

"Yeah, of course. This is like your escape…It's like me and my journal…" She admitted, looking back out at the city.

* * *

It had been two hours. The pair of them had talked about anything and everything that had come to mind. Ari had fallen asleep about a half hour ago, and her head was on Todd's shoulder. Todd had his arm around her, and he couldn't help but look at her every now and then. He knew he had to wake her up so he could take her back to the Institute, but he couldn't bring himself to move. _'Who knows when I can get another moment like this with her?'_ He thought. The moon reflected off her face, giving her face an elegant glow. He sighed lightly, and was about to wake her up, when a loud crash was heard from the city below. Ari jumped, and looked down. In her mind, she heard,

"_Fenralia, I am aware that you are with Todd, but the team needs you downtown. The Brotherhood is robbing a research center. I do not know if Todd is aware of any of this. But the X-Men need your help. There is no time to suit up."_ Ari's eyes went wide. She looked at Todd.

"I need to get down there. They need me. I'm sure your friends need you, too." She said. The last part she said with a little bit of spite. But Todd couldn't blame her. He stood, and crouched down so she could get on his back again. Then, he scaled down the cliff side, and headed in the direction of the fight. In a few moments, their friendship would temporarily mean nothing as they would head to their respective sides.

* * *

**Woo! Chapter 5! =] Alright, so I was thinking about changing the name of the story. I'm not sure why…Call it impulse. If you think I should, let me know in a PM, or review. If you think I should leave it, tell me that, as well. **

**Also, I want to know what your FAVORITE part is so far. Leave that in a PM or review, too. Please, and thanks! =]**

**XOXO **

**~ Killjoy**


	6. Nonflammable

**Alright, well, I do believe I responded to my reviewers via PM, so, I'm not going to bore you with any. =]**

**But, Lee Anna Marks, you are my favorite reviewer for this story. =D You've reviewed after almost every update. Thank you so much. **

**I'm still open to new title names. So, hit me up with suggestions. And, I still want to know your favorite parts!  
**

**This chapter is for Katie, who thinks she's going to die if she doesn't read this, and for Manda, my faithful editor. Love you both! 3**

**On to chapter 6!!**

'_Italics': thoughts_

_

* * *

_

The downtown section of Bayville was in shambles. People were running and screaming from what looked like a large intersection. The intersection was divided right down the middle by a large splinter in the center. The X-Men stood on one side and the Brotherhood stood on the other; near the research center.

Todd, now Toad, didn't have time to stop before Ari, now dubbed Combust, jumped off his back, and slid to a stop. She ran over to Cyclops and the others, and stood waiting for instructions. _'My first fight and I'm facing Todd and his friends. Lovely. I hope I can handle this…'_ Ari calmed herself.

"Hey, Combust, where were you?" Asked Jean. Ari looked at her.

"I was with Todd…Toad." She answered, correcting herself.

"It doesn't matter where she was." Shadowcat said, standing up for Combust. She, Shadowcat, dealt with a lot of grief for dating Lance, also known as Avalanche. So, she felt the need to help out her still somewhat new friend.

"Combust, you take Quicksilver. We have the rest." Decided Cyclops. Combust nodded, and looked at the smirking Quicksilver. The X-Men dispersed, leaving Combust facing Quicksilver. He sped to her, knocking her down.

"Well, it looks like I finally have you all to myself." He said smirking suggestively. Combust looked up at him, glaring.

"Lucky you." She said, jumping to her feet. As she did, her eyes flashed to red, and fire erupted up her arms.

The ground shook as Avalanche used his powers. Cyclops sent out his optic laser as a large slab of concrete flew at him. It broke into several pieces, and fell behind him. Then, he sent another blast at Avalanche, whom used a piece of concrete as a shield. He ran forward, and knocked Cyclops over; the two now fighting hand to hand.

Jean Grey and Shadowcat, with the help of Wolverine, handled Blob. The large boy sent everything and anything he could get his hands on flying at the two girls. Wolverine lunged at Blob, and swiped at his back. He was trying to cut off the large bags Blob carried, containing the information the Brotherhood had stolen. Blob threw his hand back, searching for Wolverine. Grabbing him, Blob sent Wolverine sailing into the air. Wolverine landed by digging his claws into the street and sliding to a stop behind the girls he was helping.

Nightcrawler and Spyke were trying to nab Toad, whom was hopping out of the way of every single one of Spyke's….spikes. Nightcrawler teleported, deciding to make things personal, and grabbed Toad. They teleported to the ground, and rolled around, each boy trying to pin the other.

Combust's head was starting to throb. Quicksilver was doing a good job of evading every one of her attacks. "Know a slow way to kill a fire?" He asked quickly, stopping in front of her. She threw a fire ball at him, which he sidestepped. "You cut off the oxygen." He said darkly. He started running around her, creating a small vortex, which was sucking out Combust's air supply.

Her vision grew slightly fuzzy, and she swayed a little. _'No, come on! You've come this far, show the others what you can do!'_ She told herself. She snapped her eyes shut, and brought up her arms in front of her and bent them towards her chest slightly. Fists and eyes clenched, the fire faded quickly from her hands and seemed to travel down her arms and out through her chest in a large fire ring. Quicksilver was knocked off his feet, and was sent backwards. He hit a wall, and shook his head quickly, clearing the dizziness. "Nice trick." He commented. As he ran back into the fight, objects around him exploded as Combust tried knocking him down again.

Quicksilver stopped quickly, and smirked at Combust. Combust, herself, faltered, and looked at him oddly. Before she could ask what his problem was, she was sent flying into the air, and crashed through a gas station window. Blob stood in her previous spot smirking. Then he pulled out the gas tanks, and threw them into the broken window.

Quicksilver picked up a piece of wood from the ground, and slid his finger along it quickly. Like a match, it went up in flames. He threw it into the building, which also went up in flames.

The fight with everyone else stopped completely. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Wolverine dropped the bags he was holding. Everyone's eyes widened, except for Blob, Quicksilver, and Avalanche. Well, Avalanche just stood there staring at his 'friends'. They had never killed anyone before...

Toad had frozen completely. His eyes went huge and he had pushed Nightcrawler off him roughly. When he stood, his hands started shaking. His vision started to cloud over with tears, but he wouldn't let them fall. Not here. Instead, he dropped to his knees and stared helplessly.

Quicksilver and Blob turned to walk away while the gas station's ceiling came down, trapping anyone from getting in. Wolverine was a split second faster than the others in reacting. He ran forward, only to be stopped by Jean's telekinesis. "There's nothing we can do! That would have killed anyone instantly!"

"No! We need to go get her! She's still alive!" He insisted. There was another crash, and an explosion from the station, as another tank exploded. What the X-Men and Brotherhood didn't hear, was the underlying explosion that went off the same time as the gas tank exploded. Jean set Wolverine on the ground and he went to his knees like Toad did.

The fire seemed to shift a little and it flared up and then resumed its normal burning. Wolverine spotted it first. There was a shadow moving toward them through the fire. Combust's eyes were glowing red, and her hair was flying gently around her head, looking like fire itself. The obstacles around her exploded to bits, and her face was stoic. There was blood gently trailing down her face, and soot on her face as well. She looked like a demon escaping from Hell. Her clothing was burned in several places, and blackened.

She made a beeline for Quicksilver. She quickly grabbed him by the shoulder, and spun him around. She moved her hand and clutched his chest plate. Her face was inches from his, and his eyes had widened at the terrifying look in her eyes. Through clenched teeth, Combust slowly said to him,

"I don't _burn_, asshole." She punched him in the jaw with her other hand. He fell to the ground, and Combust kicked his side, rolling him over. She put a leg over his waist, and then straddled him. She continued to pound his face with her small fists and after a moment, Wolverine grabbed her around the waist. He hoisted her off him, and she struggled to get free.

"Calm down!" He growled. She continued to thrash. Blob quickly grabbed Quicksilver, and the Brotherhood made a quick escape. Toad was the last to leave the scene. He looked at Combust, whom had finally calmed down, but was clutching her head. He wanted to go over to her. Toad wanted to cradle her in his arms . To whisper soothing words to her and calm her down. But he knew he couldn't, so he hopped after the Brotherhood.

Combust was holding her head. It was throbbing like nothing she had ever felt. She had migraines before, but nothing compared to the sheer agony that was surging through her. Her vision went fuzzy, and the last thing she remembered seeing was her Uncle's face looking down at her with worry in his eyes, and the rest of the X-Men surrounding them.

* * *

**Wow. Ok. So, for the fight between her and Quicksilver….The part **_**before**_** her coming out of the fire, the song "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer comes to mind. Just for a little comic relief, anyway. Don't you just love cliff-hangers? I know I do….Until next time!!**

**XOXO**

**~Killjoy**


	7. Get Used to it

**Wow, it's been a busy week. New update on my Dark Knight story, as well as a One-shot from Dark Knight for a friend of mine. Let's see if I can stay on track now…**

**Oh, and I took a Mary Sue test for Ari. Turns out, she's not one. Thought I'd share that…Anyway.**

**Thank you again for all the Faving people did!!! **

**Enjoy the next chapter! **

_'Italics': Thoughts_

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_

When the Brotherhood returned to the Boarding house, Fred placed Pietro onto the old couch in the run down living room. Pietro's nose was bleeding, his lip was split, and he had a black eye. Lance came over to him, and looked him over.

"I'm no doctor…But he might have a concussion…" He suggested. Todd hopping in quietly, so Pietro didn't see him. He did any way.

"_Toad_!" Pietro said, standing on shaky legs. He tried to speed over to Todd, but his head spun. "Do you _see_ what your stupid girlfriend did to me!?" He yelled. This caused Pietro to hold his head, a headache forming.

"You deserved it…" Todd said quietly. He was looking down at his feet, avoiding all the boys' faces.

"What?" Pietro asked darkly. "What did you say you little creep?" Todd's eyes narrowed.

"I said 'You deserved it'. Yo, you tried to kill her! Wouldn't _you_ be mad if that had happened to you?!" Todd said, crouching down. He turned and hopped up the stairs to his room.

"What has gotten in to that wart!?" Pietro yelled. "Since when did he get ballsy?" He turned to face the other two boys. "Don't just stand there! Fred, get me some ice!" He commanded, sitting back down on the couch. He held his head gently. Lance looked at the boy in front of him, shaking his head.

"What did I ever do to him, man?!" Todd yelled. He kicked his dresser, hurting his foot. He cursed loudly, holding his foot. He hopped over to his bed on his good foot, and sat down. He held his head in his hands, and sighed. "Yo, he's the one that pushed her over the edge…And he's yellin at _me?!_" Todd lay back onto his bed for the second time that day. The only difference was that his mood had officially gone to the opposite side compared to earlier. He glanced over at his clock.

'_Midnight…Great, man…Just great. I ain't even tired…What am I supposed to do now? I can't go back downstairs…Pietro will have my head. Maybe I could…Yeah, I'll go see if she's alright…I just hope those X-Losers don't skin me alive when they see me…'_ Deciding this, Todd hopped over to his window, and jumped swiftly to the ground.

* * *

The Xavier Institute was uncharacteristically silent that night. They almost lost a new recruit during her first fight. Now she was unconscious from reasons that only a few knew; Xavier included. He wheeled himself down into the underground medical wing and then into Fenralia's room. Logan was sitting in a chair next to his niece's bed, one leg crossed squarely over the other. He leaned his elbow on his left ankle, and his chin rested in his hand. His eyes were shut, but he spoke when Xavier entered the room.

"So, you wanna share the reason for her conking out in the middle of a tantrum?" He asked. Xavier wheeled next to Ari's bed. He looked down at her.

"I don't have the real reason, but I have a few strong theories. It could be similar to what occurred with Jean. When her powers were starting to develop and grow stronger. But, it could also be due to an over use of them." Charles explained. Another voice jumped into the conversation.

"Charles, I do believe that you're on to something…" Logan and Xavier looked at the door, and saw Hank McCoy walk in. "I've learned that when she uses her powers, her blood needs to pump quicker, since fire needs oxygen to manifest. And, since it's coming from inside her, it's a logical assumption that her body is using her own oxygen to create it. The oxygen in the outside world feeds it."

"…So…it was a lack of oxygen to her brain?" Logan asked, slightly confused. Hank nodded before continuing.

"It's extremely dangerous. When she blows an object up, she's transferring her own energy into said object. She shouldn't use them a lot. The fire ring I was told she created took a lot from her. Being thrown into a building and then having it set fire sent high amounts of adrenaline pumping through her body. Beating up Quicksilver just was too much for her body to take, and the adrenaline faded." McCoy explained. "I know it's a lot to take in, Logan…It was like, in a way, a stroke; an interruption of oxygen to the brain, like you said before." He explained, looking at Logan. Logan was looking at Ari with unreadable expression. His thoughts were cut off, though.

There was a loud crash from the hall, followed by pounding footsteps. The door to the medical room opened, and a panicked Todd ran in, crashing into a medical cart. Close behind him, was Scott, Jean, and Kurt. Scott had two fingers on his sunglasses, ready to lift them, Jean had her hand out, and Kurt looked ready to beat Todd down.

"Hey, hey…I…I come in peace, yo…" Todd said while giving the peace symbol with his hand. He stood up carefully. Kurt's eyes narrowed at the small boy in front of them.

"It's alright. Scott, Jean, Kurt. He means no harm. I do believe he came to see Ari. And though I do not approve of these unexpected visits, I'll allow it this once." Xavier said, intervening. Todd looked at the older man gratefully. Xavier wheeled himself out behind the three teens. Kurt shot Todd an uncharacteristic death glare over his shoulder. Logan stood from his seat. A single claw slid out, and it came a centimeter from Todd's throat.

"I won't be too far, bub. Be careful." He growled. Todd nodded carefully and quickly with wide eyes. Then, Logan left. Todd scratched his neck and looked over at Ari. Her face was a little cut up, but she looked like she was sleeping otherwise. He slumped over to a chair and sat near her bed. Todd didn't know what to say or do.

"Yo, Ari, man…I'm sorry for what happened earlier…You being almost killed and all… Yo, did that sound as bad as I think it did?" He asked her unconscious form. Todd sighed. "I thought so, too." He cautiously put one of his large hands on hers. Her touch was warm, and soothing.

"Your hands are calloused." Noted a weak voice. Todd raised his eyebrows and looked at Ari's form. Her eyes were open half way, and she was looking at him. A small smile appeared on her face.

"Well, with all the ground work I do…It makes sense…I know they ain't perfect, yo…"

"I like them." Ari said, gently rubbing his hand with her fingers.

"How do you feel…?" Todd asked, trying not to stutter or blush. He failed the latter, and his face went a light shade of pink.

"I feel like someone ran my head over with a semi, and just for kicks backed up and did it again." Ari explained.

"…One hell of a metaphor, yo…" Todd said, giving her an odd look.

"Yeah, well…How's Pietro?" She asked spitefully. Todd sighed.

"He'll live. He wants to kill me, though…Being associated with you and all…But, he'll get over it…Pietro got what he deserved." Todd finished with a smile. "Yo, you like playin' with my hand?" He said laughing slightly, looking at his hand. Ari was turning it, and moving her fingers over his life lines and webbing.

"I could get used to it…" Ari muttered. Todd's eyes widened.

"What?" He asked. Her eyes widened to match his.

"What?" She returned a little too loudly. An awkward silence fell on the pair.

"Hey, you're awake." Logan noted, walking in. Ari nodded with a smile, discreetly hiding hers and Todd's linked hands.

"What did I miss?" She asked him.

"Nothin'. It's only one in the mornin'. Get some sleep, Fen." He said. She nodded, giving her uncle another smile. He smiled at her, glared at Todd, and then wandered back out.

"Yo, I don't think he likes me much…" Todd said, staring wide eyed at Logan's previous spot. Ari nodded.

"Nope. He doesn't. But he'll have to live with it…" She said, looking at him.

"Yeah. Well, I should let you get some sleep, yo." Todd said with a sigh. He stood and went to take a step, but was pulled back. "Ari, man…Wanna let go?" She looked at him with innocent eyes and shook her head.

"Stay with me." She said. His face turned pink again.

"This really isn't a place I wanna sleep in…That chair's really uncomfortable." Todd said, making up an excuse. He really did want to stay with her. But, he didn't want her to know how badly he did.

"Then sleep on here." Ari suggested, moving over on her bed. Todd's mouth twitched, and he didn't know what to say. "It's not like I'm asking you to have sex with me…Just to sleep with me…Wait…God, Todd, you know what I mean, so stop looking at me like that." She said, irritated. His face was frozen in a strange look. He tentatively crawled onto the bed and settled next to her. It felt nice, laying like that with her. It was like how he daydreamed earlier he was cuddling with her.

'_She really is warm…'_ Todd thought, looking at her. She settled herself into a comfortable position; on her side, with her forehead against his left arm. Todd smiled, and put an arm around her, letting her put her head on his chest. He felt his heart flutter at the contact, and panicked that she would hear how fast his heart was beating.

He soon felt her breathing deepen, and he looked down at her. Ari's head was tilted very slightly up toward him. Todd smiled, and gave her a light, gentle kiss on the forehead, before shutting his own eyes. _'I could get used to this…'_

_

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_

**Woo. Chapter 7 is done. =] I…don't have much else to say. So, Killjoy out!**

**XOXO**

**~Killjoy**


	8. Sweet Escape Part 2

**O.O *tip toes out to face readers* Okay…I know you guys are probably like "Holy crap, she's alive!" And…I really don't have an excuse for taking this long to update other than having writer's block (Katie and Manda are my witnesses.) So…I'm going to warn you, if this chapter sucks, it's not my fault. I had an idea, and needed to get it out before I lost it. Replies, then Chapter. **

**Livingstorywriter101: Yep, he deserved it, and he deserves it often. Ha-ha. =]**

**Rogue-scholar07: Thank you. =]**

**Morring star: You ask, you shall receive, here's more. =]**

**SilentWhisper01: Aw, thanks!! =] Ha-ha! That would be really funny if he walked in. Maybe he will…Maybe he won't… *shifty eyes***

**Talk_ape: Ha-ha, thanks!**

**pkmnmastrKJACxo: (let's hope I got that right…) ^^ You're welcome!! And, thank you! Ha-ha! =] yeah, I was really worried about her powers' explanation. It made sense in my head…but reading it on the screen I was kinda "wha-?" But, I'm glad you're enjoying it, as well. =] I'm glad you chose a favorite chapter already! Loll. =]**

**dreamer: Oh, wow…The FIRST??!?!? O.O *faints* wow…I mean, I know that there ARE others…but…wow…ha-ha. In any case, I'm glad you enjoy the story, and I like that you think it's sweet. And, don't be ashamed, slash ain't bad. =P Loll. **

**Okay…Replies are done…Let's go chapter 8!!!!

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**

Ari didn't know what time it was, or _where_ she was for that matter. She just knew that she was warmer than she normally is upon waking up, and Ari was determined to find out why. Without opening her eyes, she brought her hand out from underneath the blanket, and felt around clumsily. She grabbed a fistful of different fabric, let it go, and moved her hand upward. Ari's small hand continued to search for the source of the warmth next to her, when a mumble greeted her tired ears.

"Hey, hey…Cut it out, yo…Tickles…" Then silence met the room. Ari's hand stopped, and she lifted her tired head, her eyes opening in the process. She looked in front of her, and saw Todd curled up, still sleeping. Ari's eyes widened, and she moved suddenly backwards, falling off the small bed. When she did this, Todd jumped from his spot, sitting up. "Where's the fire?!" He asked the room. Todd looked around quickly, not seeing any one. He heard a tired, and pained moan from the ground. His eyes narrowed, and he looked over the edge of the bed.

Ari had her eyes shut again, and she had her hands running through part of her hair. Her head rested on the ground and her legs were slightly bent; the 'hospital gown' riding up her legs a little. Todd saw this, and for what was probably the umpteenth time that week, his face turned red. "Don't you dare ask me what happened, because I don't even know." Ari said from her spot.

"Fair enough, yo. Need help?" He asked her. She opened her eyes, and nodded. Todd got up, and stretched, purposely taking his time.

"Today would be nice…" Ari said dryly.

"_Someone's_ not a morning person…" Todd said wandering over to her. He offered her his hand, and she happily took it. He didn't realize how light she was, and he pulled her a little too hard. She flew up, and forward into him, and he caught her with both arms. Todd glanced at Ari, whose eyes were huge. They looked at each other and Todd smiled sheepishly. "Sorry…" But, before Ari could say anything, the door to the med room opened, and Logan walked in. Ari's eyes went wider, and she pushed back against Todd, and stumbled a little, before standing straight.

But, Logan had seen the two standing closer than he'd like. He wouldn't push the matter at the moment, because he knew how she was in the mornings. And, he wouldn't admit it out loud, but the Troll wasn't that bad when his friends weren't around; if you could even call them his friends. Granted, Logan would never know what Ari saw in the Troll, but it must have been something good.

"Fen…I _was_ coming to wake you…But it looks like someone beat me to it." He looked at Todd pointedly. Todd looked down at the floor. Ari looked at her Uncle. "Breakfast is ready, whenever you are." He said. Then, after another look to Todd, Logan left.

"He has such bad timing…" Ari mumbled as she began walking from the room. Again, Todd heard this.

"What?" He asked her.

"What?" Ari asked him, again a little too loudly. _'She's acting weird. She's definitely not a morning person..'_ Todd thought as he followed her from the room.

* * *

Todd stood in the hall just outside Ari's room, waiting for her to emerge. His stomach was growling, but he was willing to wait. He knew that the meal that Ari invited him to stay for was going to be well worth it, because the meals at the Brotherhood weren't that great.

She finally came out of her room after ten minutes. "You're such a girl, man…" Todd said to her. Ari raised an eyebrow at him. "You took _forever._"

"Well then. Next time, I'll make sure to take an hour." She gave him a smile, and then they wandered down to the dining room.

Breakfast was, in simple terms, tense. Kurt was glaring at Todd from over his plate, and Jean was casting him wary glances from her spot next to Scott. Kitty was eating calmly, as was Xavier. Logan reached for an apple across Todd, and instead of asking him for it, extended a claw for it. It went right through the fruit, and Todd's wide eyes followed it as it passed in front of him. Todd felt a small hand on his under the table and he looked at Ari. She was eating, not looking at him. But he saw a ghost of a small smile on her face. He resumed eating a little less tense.

* * *

Later that day, Ari and Todd were sitting in the park talking. Ari fell silent suddenly. "Ari, man, you alright?" Todd asked her, glancing at her. Her brow was furrowed, and her bag was in her lap. A second ago it was sitting against her ankles.

"I want to show you something." She said. He looked at her oddly. Ari opened her bag, and pulled out a tattered old notebook. Todd recognized it and his eyes widened slightly. "You showed me something so personal to you…and I wanted to return the favor. I know you probably feel like you're invading my privacy…but I practically forced you to show me the spot in the mountains." She offered him the book. "Just…don't read anything after the dog eared pages…" Ari added quietly. Todd saw her face turn slightly pink, but said nothing. He took the notebook gently, and glanced at her. She was watching him intently. Todd took a deep breath, and opened the book to a random page.

_May 20, 2009_

_Well, today was my first day at Bayville High. The people here are…unique to say the least. Especially this boy, Todd Tolansky. _

When Todd saw his name, his face flushed a little. He wasn't sure of what to expect. He read on.

_He's not exactly what you'd call popular, but I think that's what first drew me to him. I was always pulled to the social outcasts, because I wanted to know why they never actually fit in with everyone else. I wanted to know if it was his choice, or if it was something else. After I met him, I still couldn't figure it out. He seems normal to me…other than that eating the fly thing…_

Todd had to smile as he turned the page to the next entry.

_I still can't figure it out. Todd isn't weird. So, he's not the hottest guy in the school, but neither is that jerk, Duncan. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's not bad looking at all. There's something about him that is attractive. I'm not sure what…Actually, I think it's his eyes. They're a really pretty gold color. Normally I hate yellow. But…I don't know. It looks nice on him. His eyes seem to show a lot of emotion. _

Todd glanced over at Ari, whom wasn't looking at him. She was looking at her lap, the ground, the people passing by, everywhere else _but_ Todd. He understood this was probably awkward for her. He slowly let his eyes fall back to the page.

_I finally know why people don't like him! He's a mutant! But…so am I. And…People still like me…Well, I think they do…I really hate some people. They see someone that looks different than them, and immediately they throw them out of their world? That's not fair. But, I'm lucky that Todd allowed me into his world. He helped me see myself for what I am; a mutant. He's been the best friend I could ask for. Todd's one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Funny, too. _

Todd went to turn the page, and saw that it was dog eared. He glanced at Ari, and then he handed her the book back. "You can skip over those…" She said. Todd obeyed, and tuned through some pages, stopping when he got to one dated a few days ago. The front of it wasn't dog eared, but the back was. He figured he could read the front.

_Well, I finally got Todd to agree to taking me to taking to his 'secret spot'. Where ever that is. Now, there's something I need to admit, journal, that's going to make me seem like a total girl. But I am one, and I'm entitled to girl feelings. I've thought about this for a while, and wasn't sure at first…But I'm starting to think that-_

The next page was dog eared, preventing Todd from reading further. His brow furrowed in frustration, and he handed the book over to Ari. "That's not fair, man." Ari looked at him oddly.

"What's not…?" She asked. She glanced down at the page that he just read, and her eyes widened. She had forgotten a page. "Oh…I forgot a page…" She said, voicing her thoughts. Todd looked at her and nodded.

"Oh. Since I read it…Can I know-"

"No." Ari said quickly. Todd's eyes widened, and he laughed a little.

"Alright, man. No need to get all defensive, yo." He held up his hands in mock surrender. Ari gave him a look.

"I'll tell you eventually." She promised.

"Eventually. Good enough." Todd said. He wondered what was on the next page. He hoped it was something good, because everything else was. "I have another secret of my own, yo." Ari looked at him.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Nope. I'm not telling, yo. You have that lil' secret. I have this one." He said to her. She pouted, folding her arms. "Ari, man. That's not gunna work this time…" He said to her with a smile. She looked at him with her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. Todd nudged her with his shoulder, and her face remained pouty for a moment until she glanced at him again. He was looking at her with big eyes and a big smile, and his face was near hers. She had to laugh at him.

"Well, ain't this cute?" Ari and Todd looked up, and saw a boy their age looking at them. Electricity danced up his arms. Ari looked up at his face. She would have thought his eyes were nice if he wasn't so intimidating. They were dancing with blue electric sparks. His hair was dyed an electric blue, and spiked up every which way. Before Todd or Ari could move, the boy grabbed Ari by the neck.

"Pietro says hi." He said to her with a smirk. Electricity surged through her body, making her heart rate soar. Blood pumped faster through her body, and sooner than either of them would have liked, a thin layer of fire appeared on Ari's skin, shocking both Ari and the boy holding her. If he didn't let go of her soon, he would be burned alive, and her heart would be fried.

He finally let go, and dropped her. Ari's body faded to normal, but her body continued to twitch as electricity hit various nerves.

Todd looked at the boy that tried to kill his best friend. "Hey, who are you, yo?" He asked.

"Name's Blue-Jet." He said to Todd. "I don't know what your girl did to piss off Pietro…But it's my job to make sure she doesn't do it again. Now, if you don't mind…" Blue-Jet made a slight bow motion with his hands, and stepped toward Ari. She stopped twitching, and she had sat up. Her head was hurting slightly, but not as much.

The park was emptier than it should have been that Sunday. It was almost lunch time, but Ari, Todd, Blue-Jet, and another family were the only ones in the park. But once Blue-Jet appeared, the family gathered their things up quickly and ran.

Todd ran in front of Ari, and crouched down. His face darkened, a glare forming. "You're gunna have to go through me, yo." Todd said darkly.

"Oh, by all means. I have all day." Said Blue-Jet. He smirked again, and electricity sparked up his arms. Todd's eyes narrowed, and he jerked his chin up slightly, sending out a glob of his spit that hardened against Blue-Jet's face upon impact. Blue-Jet's hands flew to his face, trying to pry apart the substance. Todd grabbed Ari's hand, her bag, pulled Ari to her feet, and took off running.

"Where are we going!?" Ari asked frantically. Todd turned a corner, into an alley way. He pushed her against the building, and glanced around the corner, seeing a deserted sidewalk.

"Well…since he probably suspects you'd run to the Institute…Let's head to my place, yo."

"Pietro's there…" Ari reminded him.

"I know, man. I have a few things I'd like to say to him…"

* * *

"Ari, man. Stay here." Todd instructed her. He had climbed through his window with her on his back. That was no easy task. Todd sat her down on his unmade bed, suddenly self-conscious about how messy his room was. "I'm gunna go talk to Pietro…" Todd said darkly.

"…Don't hurt yourself…" Ari advised. He looked at her and she smiled innocently.

She was left alone, then. Todd had shut his door almost completely, but Lance had walked by, and saw it was slightly open. This wasn't normal. It was either wide open, or clamped shut. So, curiosity getting the better of him, he opened the door, not really expecting anything special. He saw Ari looking around, and her eyes fell on him. They remained silently looking at each other, the pair blinking every now and then. "Todd still alive?" Ari asked finally.

"Actually, Pietro's not home. He packed up and left an hour ago. He had about three bags with him. Then again, there was a limo waiting for him…" Lance explained.

"…Does _Todd_ know that…?" Ari then asked. Before Lance could answer, Todd came shuffling back upstairs.

"He's not-"

"He left an hour ago." Ari explained. Todd nodded, somewhat disappointed. Ari stood from her spot, fixing her skirt, and placing her bag on Todd's bed. "Well, now we don't have to worry about you getting hurt…And we don't have to worry about hiding a body. So. What's there to do around here?" Ari looked at both boys, smiling, and walked past them. Lance and Todd watched her walk down the steps.

"You know…Your girl is really strange…Cool…But strange…." Todd's face went blank for a moment, and then he said,

"If one more person calls her my 'girl', I'm gunna kill 'em."

* * *

**Well. Todd's just full of threats today…**

**I figured since I hadn't updated in a while, you all deserved a long chapter…10 pages…Be grateful. =]**

**XOXO**

**~Killjoy**


	9. Dreams vs Reality

**Alrighty, judging by the quick, many, and positive reviews I've gotten, I'm gunna guess my last chapter didn't suck =P **

**I love my reviewers. Each and every one of you. =]**

**LonelyZoner: Thank you!! A lot of people tell me I'm descriptive. I just hope I don't put too much detail in. **

**TheHalfmetalAlchemist: I love Pietro…But he needs a good beating every now and then…Loll. And, thanks so much!**

**Livingstorywriter101: Hah! Nah, don't worry about it. I love Blue-Jet. Completely, and utterly. Something about him…So, you're not weird. Loll. Thank you, by the way!**

**Katie: Hahaha, I know you want them together…And I love that you enjoy the story. Thank you for telling me the chapter didn't suck, love. Loll.**

**Talk_ape: XD I loved that scene so much. It reminded me of Meet the Fockers or something to that effect. And, thank you! Loll. **

**LadyAmazon: O.o Thank you!!!! Wow! I never expected a review like that! Yeah, at first I loved Nightcrawler so much, but then I found Todd adorable. And, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! =]**

**Hm. I want to give Blue-Jet some kind of accent…I'm not sure why, or what one…If anyone has ideas, let me know! And, it can't be British…Loll. Long story…**

**And, a little side note: Did you know that a 'blue jet' is a type of lightning? Shocking, eh? ;] Sorry…Puns…Love them. =]

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Ari wandered around the small boarding house, with Lance and Todd behind her. They wanted to make sure she didn't ruin anything. She had a very curious mind, they soon realized. Well, _Lance_ soon realized. Todd already knew that. So, Lance was watching as Ari made her way to the drive way and she spotted Lance's jeep.

"I like your ride..." She said, walking around it. It was coated in mud. Lance looked at the ground slightly embarrassed. He had planned on washing it that morning, but Pietro was going off on everyone, including him. So, he hadn't the chance.

"Yeah…I was gunna wash it this morning…But with recent events…I couldn't." Lance explained. Ari thought for a moment. _'Well, I'm gunna be here for a while…So…' _She pulled a hair tie from her wrist, and pulled her hair back in a pony tail.

"Where's your hose?" She asked, turning on her heel. Both boys looked at each other.

"Hose?" They asked her. Ari nodded. She pointed to the car.

"…Not gunna wash itself." Lance shrugged, and went off to the side of the house. Todd stepped toward Ari.

"Ari, man, you don't have to do any of this…" He told her. She looked at him.

"I know. But, if I'm going to hang here for a while, I need to keep myself occupied…I need to use my phone…I need to call Logan and give him and everyone a heads up about Blue-Jet. I just hope I tell them before he gets there…" Ari rushed inside, and almost knocked over Lance, whom was pulling the hose toward his car.

"…What just happened?" Lance asked. Todd explained what Ari went to do, and a silence fell on the two boys. Lance had found a few buckets in the basement and was rinsing them out, and Todd had just brought out some rags, soap, and sponges. Oddly enough, the soap was never opened. After a moment, Lance spoke. "So, you tell her yet?" Todd's head snapped toward Lance and his eyes widened. He looked toward the door to the house, then up to his window. He lowered his voice.

"Tell who what, yo?" Todd asked the other boy. Lance gave him a look.

"You know who, and you know what." Todd looked at his sneakers.

"No…I haven't. Man, is it that obvious?"

"Well, a little. I mean, you do look at her a lot. When she talks, you tend to smile a little. It's kind of like how things were with me and Kitty at first."

"Do you think…?" Todd started. He had always gotten along with Lance the best. He treated him like a normal person. Well, as normal as mutants come.

"Do I think what?" Lance said looking at the smaller boy.

"…Do you think that she likes me, yo?" Lance's eyebrows rose, and he looked toward the door, where Ari had gone through.

"Hard to say with girls…Some tend to be indecisive…Some aren't straightforward, some are flirts, some hide what they feel and some…" Lance explained. Todd looked at Lance expectantly.

"And some…?"

"And some are like Ari and Kitty. They may seem like they're too good to be true…But, open your eyes, Todd. You want to know when things are the real deal?" Lance asked Todd. This was so uncharacteristic of him, but Lance has never had anyone to talk to, and he knew that Todd wouldn't make fun of him. Todd nodded.

"When your reality becomes better than your dreams." Lance finished, looking down and filling the last bucket with water. As he said this, Ari came back outside, and Todd smiled at her.

"Alright, well…It looks like I'm in hiding as of right now…Logan doesn't want me at the Institute where things could get ugly, and Xavier thinks that since Pietro isn't here…I could stay here for a little while….If…that's alright with you guys?" She looked at each boy in turn. Todd was looking at her, thinking about what Lance said to him, and Lance was thinking over what she just said.

"Sounds alright to me…but…If Pietro comes back…Head back to the Institute. I'll give Kitty a call later and tell her. But right now, my other baby needs care…" Lance said turning to his jeep. Ari rolled her eyes, and then threw a wet sponge at him.

* * *

About an hour had passed, and the jeep was sparkling clean. The three teens sat on the grass relaxing in the sun. "Why is it so hot?" Ari whined. She rested herself fully on her back, and shut her eyes. Todd and Lance looked at each other, and smirked. They stood quickly and quietly, and crept away from her. A few seconds passed, and Ari opened her eyes again. She glanced to her sides, and saw that the boys had vanished. _'This…This can't be good…'_ Ari sat up slowly, only to be met with ice cold water. She screamed, and tried shielding herself. Loud laughter met her ears when the water stopped rushing at her.

She sat there on the grass with a blank expression; a few pieces of her hair were sticking to her face. She looked up at the two boys, whom were watching her, while trying to start laughing again. Ari blinked and slowly wrung out her pony tail. This made the boys start laughing. "You do know that you both are in trouble, right?" She asked them darkly. The two boys stopped laughing long enough to see her get up, kick off her shoes, and run passed them.

Lance and Todd glanced at each other. "Where is she…Oh, no…" Lance said. Before he could say another word, he was silenced by a cold blast from the hose. Todd looked at Ari with wide eyes.

"Ari, man...Don't-"

"Too late." Ari said with a smirk. She sprayed him with the hose as well. And, thus began the water fight.

Ten minutes had passed, and Lance and Todd had hidden in the back of the house. They were dumb enough to leave the best water supply open, and Ari had gotten it. They ran in through the back and into the kitchen to fill their buckets, but they needed to end this. "Lance, man…We've got to shut off the hose..." Todd said, glancing around the corner. A blast of water forced him to hide again.

"I know…But the only valve is the one she's guarding…We need to distract her…" Lance looked at Todd thoughtfully, and smirked.

"Why are you…No. No, no…Lance, man…" Lance gave Todd a look.

"We need to get through this with dignity! We're men! We're not going to let a girl beat us in a water fight." Lance told him.

"….Lance…_We're_ the ones hiding."

"I know. And, that's why we need to end this our way…." He pulled Todd's soaked collar down, and the pair kneeled down in the dirt to go over their plan.

* * *

Ari noticed the boys were too quiet. Her eyes narrowed, scanning what she could see of the back lawn. She didn't see any shadows of them, but then again the whole lawn was almost one big shadow. Ari heard a noise from behind her and turned, but saw nothing. She focused back on the back lawn. She heard the noise again, and spun around, wielding the hose like a weapon; which in her case, it was.

Ari was attacked from behind with a large bucket of water, and she spun spraying her assailant with the hose. But, she was grabbed from behind, and the hose was yanked from her hands, and she was pulled backwards. Ari kicked against her captor, and she managed to break free. She saw Lance holding the hose and Todd trying to grab her again. She ran. Todd was right behind her, and he jumped, and lunged at her. Ari was dragged down. The two rolled to a stop, and Ari rested her head on the ground. She watched as Lance went over to the valve and shut off the hose.

"Not fair! You both cheated!" Ari complained from under Todd. Lance laughed at her, and smiled at the pair's awkward predicament. Both of his plans had worked; one was to win the water fight, and the other to get Ari and Todd into the situation they were in now.

Todd was pinning Ari down. His hands were locked with hers, and they were up near her head. His legs straddled her, and her legs were wrapped around his. They looked like a human knot. Their faces were only inches apart. Ari turned her head and looked at Todd, and their noses touched. Her eyebrows rose, and he smiled sheepishly, jumping up from his spot. But, his legs were still locked with hers, and he fell backwards. Both teens were blushing furiously, and Ari was the first to stand. She offered him her hand, and he took it, not looking at her.

"So. Am I supposed to lounge around in wet clothes all day?" Ari asked. Lance and Todd looked at each other.

"Well, my clothes would be way too big. Todd's may be a little snug…But they'll get you by." Lance said. Todd hopped upstairs, leaving Lance and Ari in the living room. Lance looked at Ari. "So, why haven't you told Todd?" Lance asked her. Her eyes widened, and she looked at him.

"What? Tell him what?"

"Don't play dumb…Please don't…" Lance said, opening a can of soda. "I can tell you like Todd. I think you should tell him. You two act like you're together as it is." He looked at the girl, and saw her face turn pink.

"Where's the big guy?" She asked quickly.

"He's upstairs sleeping. And don't change the subject. Tell him." He said, leaving the room. Ari leaned her head back and shut her eyes.

"Ari, man, what's wrong?" Todd asked her, hopping into the room. Ari put a smile on her face.

"Nothing. I was just thinking about something." Todd knew that it was partly true, but let it go. He handed her the clothes, and directed her to a bathroom. He had changed when he looked for clothes for her. It took her a few moments, but she finally came out and he couldn't help but smile at her.

She was wearing a pair of his black sweatpants that he usually sleeps in. They had little, green smiley faces on them. He also gave her one of his old tank tops. It was a gray wife beater, and he thought Ari looked completely adorable in his clothes. Ari smiled at him and sat next to him on the couch. They talked about random things, and then Ari said she was going to grab her bag upstairs from Todd's room. She went upstairs, and took out her notebook, and jotted some things down quickly.

Todd went upstairs, and into his room. He didn't see Ari anywhere, but he saw her notebook open. "Oh, man…I really shouldn't…" But he couldn't help himself. Todd sat on his bed and picked up the notebook. He knew what he was doing was wrong. Todd began reading.

_We had a long water fight earlier. It was pretty funny, but completely unfair. Two against one? I mean, yeah I had the hose…But, still. Then Todd and Lance attacked me before winning. Again, unfairly. Todd and I landed in an awkward position; our legs were locked together and our noses were touching. Later, Lance and I had this whole talk about me telling Todd that I like him as more than a friend. If Lance picked up on it, I'm sure that Todd did…_

Todd stopped reading. His face turned a dark red. He hadn't stopped reading because he saw what he wanted to for the longest time. Todd stopped because Ari had been watching him read her journal. He looked up at her, and her face was unreadable. She looked down for a moment, and leaned on the doorframe. Finally, she spoke; quietly. "Well…This isn't exactly how I wanted you to find out…" He stood, and stepped toward her.

"Ari, man. I know I shouldn't have…It was just lying there, and it was open…I didn't know where you went…" Todd apologized. Ari held up a small hand.

"Todd…Don't…" She bravely looked him in the eye, and saw his eyes were overflowing with mixed emotions.

"No, Ari, man…Let me finish…" He took a hold of her chin when she went to look down again. He brought his lips gently to hers. Even though his touch was gentle, Ari could feel the power behind it. When he pulled away, they looked at each other. Todd smiled. "Now, what did you want to say?" She smiled at him, and kissed him gently.

* * *

Lance was sipping his soda when he passed Todd's room again. He stopped, and backed up. He smiled at the sight; Todd was holding Ari and the pair were asleep on his bed. Lance sipped his soda again.

"People should listen to me more often…"

* * *

**Alright, Here ya go. Katie, be happy. They're finally together. So I'm thinking I can probably wrap this story up in maybe 2 or 3 more chapters…We'll see. **


	10. Familiar Faces

***Gets thrown out onto stage and looks around nervously.* WOW. Ok…Guys, I know it's been awhile. I've been having slight writer's block, mixed with laziness. Um…There were too many reviews since I last updated, so I'm not going to reply to them all, but I will say thank you to all of you. **

**So, school's starting for me Tuesday. Isn't that fun? I'm looking forward to going back because I miss a lot of my friends. That and it gives me something to do. **

**Well, any way, let's get on with it, hmm?**

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* * *

**

Ari awoke for the second time that week not knowing where she was. She again felt something warm next to her, and looked for the source. She saw Todd sleeping peacefully and smiled, remembering. She placed a light kiss on his cheek, careful not to wake him. She still felt a little odd being his girlfriend; only because they were such good friends, and then they became something more overnight. It just wasn't her usual thing. But she imagined this relationship would move a lot slower than her past ones.

She carefully got out of bed, and wandered downstairs, where Freddy was already seated at the table eating. Ari still had a grudge against him, because he was the one whom knocked her into the gas station days before. So, Ari simply ignored him as she rummaged through the cabinets and refrigerator for something edible. But, all she found was a pack of cheese that was stuck to the refrigerator shelf and something that was completely unidentifiable. Ari stood up straight with a thoughtful look on her face, and looked at Freddy, whom was eating a sandwich the size of her head.

"Do you guys have anything edible in this place?" Ari asked aloud. Lance had taken that opportunity to waltz in.

"Um…Yeah, of course we do." He said. Ari looked at him.

"Where?"

"He's eating it." Lance said, pointing at Freddy. Ari rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Alright. I'm going out to eat. Anyone want to come with?" She asked. Immediately, Todd bounded down the steps.

"I'll go!" He said. Lance and Freddy nodded.

"…Alright then." Ari said. She wandered out to the back porch, where her clothes from the day before were hanging to dry. After changing in the bathroom, and using an unopened toothbrush under the sink, she came back out. "So, what are you all waiting for? Get dressed and let's go." They all looked at her.

"What…you mean, like, now?" Todd asked her. Ari looked at the three boys in front of her.

"Yes, now." She snapped back. They bounded from the room excitedly.

* * *

At the diner, Ari tried to sink back in her side of the booth as far as she possibly could. Lance was balancing as much silverware on his face as he could, Freddy was stuffing his face while getting food everywhere, and Todd was slurping a milkshake as loud as he could. The waitress came over, and looked at the three boys while taking empty plates. Then, she glanced at Ari and smiled sympathetically. Ari just gave her a pained look as waitress walked away. Ari sat up and glanced out the window after, and quickly sunk back down quickly; her eyes wide. Her hand searched for Todd's, and when she found it, she gave it a tight squeeze.

Todd looked at her questioningly. He had just finished lapping up the cream and milk from his glass. His tongue shot back into his mouth when he looked out the window. He jumped over her, and pulled the blinds down. "Blue-Jet…" Ari mumbled. Lance looked at her, and all the spoons on his face clanked to the table.

"He's here?!" He asked. Ari nodded.

"Outside…" She dove under the table, and came out the other side. She ran to their waitress. "Listen, we need to get out of here…Quickly. Please? Is there a back exit? My…Father is outside and he has no idea I'm with my boyfriend and his friends. He'd kill me…" Ari said to her. Ari knew she was lying, but she didn't have a choice. The waitress looked at her for a moment. "I'll pay double what the bill is." Ari added quickly. She pulled out a fifty and shoved it into the waitress' hand.

"Right this way." The waitress said, smiling. Ari ushered for the boys to follow her. They jumped from their spots, and ran after her. The five of them rushed through the kitchen, and the waitress opened a door to the alley.

"Thank you!" Ari yelled over her shoulder. They quickly wove behind buildings, but every time they peeked around a corner, Blue-Jet was on the opposite side of the street searching. This continued for about ten minutes. They finally reached the end of the block.

Ari pushed against the building, hiding in the shadows. She glanced at Todd, whom was waiting for her to say something.

"Well?" He asked. Ari's amethyst eyes quickly flashed to red.

"I'm done running." She said. Then, Ari turned, and marched out into the street. "Blue-Jet." She said in a demanding tone. The blue haired teen looked up at her. He smirked.

"Well, look at you. The little girl came out here to face me? I almost respect you." Ari's eyes flashed to red again, and smoke trailed from her nose. She looked around, and saw people walking the streets, glancing curiously at the confrontation. Then, she had an idea. Ari looked at the boys, and they nodded at her. Todd hopped out, and stood up next to her. "_You._" Blue-Jet seethed.

"Yeah, what about me, man?" Todd said bravely.

"I'm going to make frog's legs out of you…" Blue-Jet threatened. Todd rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, like I ain't heard that before, yo." Ari smiled, and looked at Todd. Part of her plan was working. She knew Todd took enough crap from people to just let it bounce off him. And, it looked like Blue-Jet had patience the size of a dime. Put the two together, and things could get messy. Which is exactly what Ari wanted; a distraction. Todd crouched down, and tilted his head. Blue-Jet's hands lit up with sparks, and people around them started running. Ari quickly took this chance, and lost herself with the running crowd. She felt terrible for leaving Todd with Blue-Jet, but she knew his friends would jump in if they needed to.

* * *

Logan sat at the large dining table reading the newspaper. His coffee sat in front of him, and a large hand was lazily wrapped around it. His ears perked as he heard frantic footsteps coming down the hall. He looked up and raised an eyebrow as his niece ran in the room. Her eyes were crazed as she looked in, and once she saw Logan, she relaxed a little. "Uncle Logan! Quick, get the Professor, Scott, Jean, someone!" Logan stood up, and grabbed Ari's hands.

"Fen. Slowly. What did you do?" Ari took a breath, slightly calmed from the use of her Uncle's nickname for her.

"I didn't do anything. Blue-Jet was searching downtown for me, and I went out to face him. Only I came up with something; I used Todd to cause a distraction, which I feel horrible about. But, it was the only way I could get here without Blue-Jet following me." Ari said all in one breath. Logan looked at her for a minute, unsure if he understood her.

"That…That is a problem. Alright, you get the others, I'll get Chuck." Logan quickly walked away from his niece. At the doors, he turned back to her. "And, Fen. Don't worry. The troll will be fine." Ari stood there for a moment, and then ran to get the others.

* * *

Combust rode on the back of Wolverine's motorcycle. Her eyes were frantically searching over Wolverine's shoulder for Blue-Jet and the Brotherhood. Behind them, the other X-Men rode in a large black SUV. They finally reached the area where Combust had previously fled. The site looked like a battlefield and a ghost town.

The area was deserted, save for Blue-Jet and the Brotherhood. The ground had massive chunks missing, and there were splits as a reminder of Avalanche's attacks. There were electrical wires down, still sparking with energy.

There was a phone booth that had been thrown twenty feet from its original position. A few feet from that, a fire hydrant. Where the hydrant was once positioned, water cascaded onto the street. Blob was the cause of this. Electricity was visible in the water.

Lastly, there were hardened slime chunks all over, remnants from Toad's attempts to stop Blue-Jet. The Brotherhood stood opposite Blue-Jet, all panting slightly. Blue-Jet, though, looked like he was having the time of his life.

Combust jumped off the bike and threw off her helmet. "Blue-Jet!" She yelled. The blue haired teen looked at her. "This ends now." The X-Men exited the SUV and fanned out behind her. The X-Men and the Brotherhood stood as one. Blue-Jet smirked again at her. He looked her up and down in her uniform.

"One against nine? Where's the fairness in that? Well, I saw this coming, so I called in a friend."

Combust's eyes narrowed and she looked at him. Before she could say a word, there was a flash of silver and she was knocked to the concrete. Combust flipped her hair back, and looked up. Quicksilver smirked down at her with his arms crossed and said,

"Long time, no see."

* * *

**OKAY. Chapter 10. So, I might wrap everything up in the next chapter or so, because, well…I want to. =] **

**Sorry again for the long wait! Since I want to finish this before school, I'll hopefully update within the next few days. It's YOUR reviews that keep me going. ^^**

**XOXO**

**~Killjoy**


	11. Finale

**Alright, so this is the last chapter. =[ I want to really thank all of my readers, because most of you have been there from the start. I loved reading each review, and I loved learning that this story is one of the better Todd/OC ones. I can't thank any of you enough. =] **

**So, enjoy!**

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"Pietro?!" Avalanche said from above Combust. Quicksilver sped over to him, his arms still folded.

"Yeah. Miss me?" He asked. Combust stood up shakily, and threw a fireball at him. He was sent to the ground.

"No, and neither did that." She said snidely. Quicksilver shook himself off, and wiped some ash off his face. He stood up, and looked at her.

"Well, _someone's_ been practicing." He observed. Before another word could be said, Toad jumped at Quicksilver, taking him to the ground. Thus, the fighting began.

Wolverine, Combust, Avalanche, Nightcrawler, and Shadowcat went after Blue-Jet, whom had started running. He jumped into the air, and the lower half of his body took the shape of a blue lightning bolt. This allowed him to shoot through the air quickly. But as he did, pieces of concrete shot out from under him, sending debris and objects flying. Wolverine looked at Combust. "Kid's powerful." He grunted. She ran alongside him and gave him a look.

"What gave that away?" She snapped in between breaths. Shadowcat ran behind them, phasing through larger objects as Combust and Wolverine dodged them.

As rocks and concrete passed through Shadowcat, Avalanche made them explode, and Nightcrawler teleported out of the way as he ran. They all took a sharp left turn, and Blue-Jet shot through a chain link fence. The four X-Men, and Avalanche jumped through the opening, and noticed Blue-Jet had vanished.

"Like…where'd he go?" Shadowcat asked as she caught her breath. Wolverine lifted his chin up as he sniffed the air.

"He's…around." Wolverine deduced. "He hasn't left…"

"Where are we, anyway?" Avalanche asked. Nightcrawler looked around.

"It looks like we are in some kind of…electrical warehouse?" He suggested.

"The old power plant." Combust and Wolverine said together. "This thing is due to be torn down next week. The new one was built up the road. This place is supposed to be abandoned, but don't touch anything." Wolverine instructed. The five mutants went in different directions, cautiously looking for any sign of Blue-Jet.

* * *

Quicksilver dodged each of the mutants' attacks. Cyclops shot a laser at a pole above Quicksilver, but he had sidestepped that with ease. Jean tried grabbing the speedster, but he was moving way too fast. Toad _had_ managed to hit him with his solidifying spit once in the leg, sticking the blond to the street. But, all Quicksilver had to do, was move the right way, at the right speed, and he was free. Blob had also managed to throw Quicksilver off his feet by throwing his fists down onto the ground, causing an earthquake similar to something Avalanche would have done.

Rogue had joined the efforts after receiving a message from Xavier. She arrived as soon as she could. Jean and Blob transferred some of their powers to Rogue, but it didn't help. Quicksilver had obviously been doing some training while he was away, and he was much faster than he used to be.

"You missed me." Quicksilver said after Cyclops tried zapping him. He tried again. "Missed again! Come on, third time's a charm." The speed demon encouraged. Blob took this moment to throw a piece of a building at Quicksilver. He saw it at the last second, and took off in the direction that Blue-Jet had flown in.

* * *

Combust walked slowly, listening. She jumped and ignited her hands when she heard a surging sound behind her. Seeing nothing, Combust calmed.

Wolverine was doing the same as his niece. He was on the opposite side of the power plant. He spotted a shadow darting ahead, and took off after it.

Shadowcat and Avalanche walked back to back, slowly rotating. Being partnered with Shadowcat wasn't always a good thing; if something attacked her, it'd go through her, and hit her partner. But Avalanche knew this. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with her. "Lance, man…Where is he…?" His girlfriend asked him. Avalanche looked around.

"I'm not sure."

"If I was an insane mutant with electric powers, where would I hide…?" Nightcrawler asked himself. He crept along a terminal, and looked at it. He saw his reflection in it, and then something dawned on him. Quickly, he teleported out of sight.

Combust almost had a heart attack when she walked into Nightcrawler. "What did you do that for?!" She snapped quietly. He grabbed her shoulders.

"I know where he is." Nightcrawler said quickly. The pyro in front of him looked around frantically.

"Where?!" She said.

"…Everywhere." Nightcrawler said ominously. He looked around at the wires, and the towers that were above. "Find your uncle. I'm getting Shadowcat and Avalanche." Combust nodded, and started running in the other direction.

Just as she did, the factory around her came alive. A wire broke from a tower above her, and swung down. Combust dove out of the way at the last second, and kept running. "Wolverine!" She screamed.

Wolverine had turned into a dead end. His eyes narrowed and he sniffed the air. Blue-Jet's scent was there. It was everywhere, but nowhere at the same time. Again, his ears pricked up when he heard his niece calling after him. Wolverine turned and saw her running at him. "He phased into the machinery and wires!" He heard her yell. Wolverine didn't have time to process this; a loud sizzling sound was heard, and another wire came down. Upon reflex, Wolverine shot out his claws to slash them. Metal met electricity, and there was a loud surging noise as energy ran through Wolverine.

Combust froze and she stared wide eyed at her Uncle's twitching body. The sight would have been comical if it wasn't for the burning smell. "Unlce Logan!" She cried. As she sprinted at her uncle, she had to dodge wires and sparks that were coming at her. She couldn't blow it up, because that would cause a huge chain reaction. This meant she couldn't set fire to anything either.

Quicksilver had taken that opportunity to zoom in, and knock Combust off her feet. The other X-Men and the rest of the Brotherhood arrived soon after. "Well, well. You're just falling hard for me, aren't you?" Quicksilver smirked at Combust. A fire blast to his chest sent him sailing into a machine behind him.

"Not as hard as you." Combust said. She got to her feet. She glanced over at Wolverine, whom was lying on the ground, sparking with electricity. The live wire danced on the ground a few feet away. She went to step toward him.

"I'm not done with you." Quicksilver said darkly. He grabbed the pyro by her hair, and pulled her back. She pushed against him, and the two fell to the ground.

Jean lifted the wire up with her powers, and sent it back to its original spot. Toad shot some spray at it, and it bonded to the tower. Jean smiled approvingly at Toad, and he returned it. He looked over at Combust, whom was rolling on the ground, trying to avoid Quicksilver's punches. Toad saw the determined look in her eye, but he also saw she was afraid. Combust knew Quicksilver was enraged. He wanted to hit her until she couldn't move for what she had done to him. But, she was just as angry. He had tried to kill her. Sure, Combust had gotten some punches in that day, but she was stopped too early.

Quicksilver's punches were too quick for Combust to dodge. She took to hiding her face with her arms, so they received most of the blows. Then he went to hit her ribs. Toad had enough. His tongue shot out, grabbed Combust, and flung her body into his. He caught her with ease, and set her next to him. The couple smiled at each other, and then they face Quicksilver.

The rest of the X-Men and Brotherhood were busy trying to destroy the old power plant. Cyclops and Rogue shot lasers at the towers, and machinery. Blob and Avalanche were throwing what they could at various objects. Shadowcat was making herself useful by phasing into machines and taken out their inner workings. As they did this, each mutant had the same question in their heads; Just _where _exactly was Blue-Jet?

Jean and Nightcrawler were at Wolverine's side, helping him to his feet. Wires still fell randomly and tried to come after them. Jean formed a safety dome with her powers and the wires simply bounced off.

Combust and Toad simultaneously attacked Quicksilver. He tried speeding in between the two, but he was cornered. "Now what are ya gunna do, yo?" Toad asked him. Quicksilver looked like a cornered mouse. Combust was looking at him with red eyes, and her hair was falling over her face. Toad was looking at Quicksilver with hatred in his eyes. He had always been the biggest jerk to him. Him, and Duncan. This was his moment to get back at him. Toad knew it probably wasn't the best thing, seeking revenge, but right now, he didn't care. All he cared about was the girl next to him, and punching the speedster in front of him.

"We need to get out of here! This whole place is coming alive!" Jean yelled. Electricity and wires were making their way toward the fighting teens. There was a loud laughter that echoed through the power plant. It seemed to be coming from the sparks and wires.

Combust and Toad glanced above them and ducked as wires swung back and forth. Quicksilver took this moment and tried to get away. Jean spotted this, and quickly broke a dead wire, and wrapped that around him. It went from his shoulders to his ankles. "Now try running." Jean challenged. He looked up at her from the ground with narrow eyes.

"X-Men, get out of here!" Cyclops instructed as he shot at a wire coming at him.

"Guys, follow them!" Avalanche yelled after Cyclops. Blob picked up Quicksilver again, and slung him over his shoulder. Everyone ran out as fast as they could, dodging sparks, and pops of electricity that followed them. They made it outside the chain link fence, which had turned into an electrical one.

"Yo, how are we gunna destroy this thing, yo?" Toad asked. He had an arm around Combust, and they were all staring at the old power plant. Wolverine was looking at Combust. After seeing this, one by one, each mutant looked at her. She finally felt their stare and looked at them all.

"…Why are you all staring at me…?" She asked. A sudden realization dawned on her. "Really? But the rest of the city-"

"Won't be affected." Jean interrupted. She floated up into the air, and a filmy bubble formed around the power plant, which was still alive and kicking.

"You could kill her!" Toad shouted. Combust looked at him, and touched his shoulder. He looked at her, she smiled, and kissed him gently. Then she stepped forward.

Combust took a deep breath, and raised her arms. Her eyes turned red, and the objects in front of them; the wires, the turbines, the buildings, the fence, they all started shaking. As if sensing she was about to blow up the place, a loud thunder crash was heard, and it started pouring. Everyone but Jean looked up to see Storm's floating figure above. "Charles suggested a little cover. Carry on, child." She instructed Combust.

Another deep breath, and Combust's now soaked body focused all her energy. Her eyes clenched shut, and she gritted her teeth. Her hands suddenly went into fists. Then, loud explosion was covered by an equally loud thunder crash.

Jean dilated the bubbled to compress the smoke and fire. Once the fire was controlled, she dropped the bubble completely, and landed on the ground. The rain put out the fire, and all eyes went to Combust. She was rocking slightly, and she then fell. Before she hit the ground, Toad caught her, and he sent glares at the others. "You see, man?" He chided. "You coulda killed her!"

"Todd…" Said a weak voice. Toad, Todd now, looked down at his best friend, and now girlfriend.

"Yeah, Ari?" He asked her quietly.

"Shut up…" She said whilst sitting up slowly. She looked at Todd, while Wolverine laughed slightly.

"Oh yeah, I'm alright with this." Wolverine said looking at his niece's smirk, and Todd's wide eyes. Ari laughed gently, and reached up to meet her lips with Todd's.

The storm was taken down a few notches to just rain, and Storm joined them. All of them, but Quicksilver, watched the smoking, old power plant, which was almost completely gone.

* * *

Above them, a long stream of electricity traveled along a telephone wire. It hit a building, and traveled down the metal gutter. Once it hit the ground, it seemed to solidify. Blue, spiky hair appeared first, and then the smirking face. After, Blue-Jet's body formed as he leaned on the side of the building. He stared at the mutants and caught Quicksilver's eye when he lifted his head from Blob's back. The pair shared a smirk, and after, Blue-Jet turned into his previous form, traveled up the gutter behind him, and was out of sight.

* * *

**Well, that took longer than expected. Okay, well, guys, it was a blast taking you all on this adventure. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. **

**Signing for the last time,**

**XOXO**

**~Killjoy**


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